Republican senators on the Senate “jury” (and especially its foreman) took an oath to be fair and impartial. But having announced their verdict in advance and admitting they will collude with the defendant, they have already violated their oath.
Next time you are called for jury duty, try taking an oath of impartiality and then announcing in open court that you intend to cooperate with the defense and speak with one voice with the defendant.
Sure, we all understand that, while the Senate can be compared metaphorically to a jury, it is not actually a jury. There is no voir dire (challenging of potential jurors to ensure objective neutrality). These “jurors” are not selected by voir dire, but by elections in their respective states. A jury operates in a criminal trial. Impeachment is a political trial.
By announcing in advance that he is coordinating with the defendant — the jury foreman coordinating with the defendant — Mitch McConnell has admitted that the trial is rigged and so any acquittal is thus tainted and without merit. Similarly, when Lindsay Graham publicly states that he cannot be impartial, he admits that he intends to violate his oath.
Republican senators on the Senate “jury” (and especially its foreman) took an oath to be fair and impartial. But having announced their verdict in advance and admitting they will collude with the defendant, they have already violated their oath.
Next time you are called for jury duty, try taking an oath of impartiality and then announcing in open court that you intend to cooperate with the defense and speak with one voice with the defendant.
Sure, we all understand that, while the Senate can be compared metaphorically to a jury, it is not actually a jury. There is no voir dire (challenging of potential jurors to ensure objective neutrality). These “jurors” are not selected by voir dire, but by elections in their respective states. A jury operates in a criminal trial. Impeachment is a political trial.
By announcing in advance that he is coordinating with the defendant — the jury foreman coordinating with the defendant — Mitch McConnell has admitted that the trial is rigged and so any acquittal is thus tainted and without merit. Similarly, when Lindsay Graham publicly states that he cannot be impartial, he admits that he intends to violate his oath.