I want to commend Charles Wohlforth’s excellent opinion column of May 27 regarding the various prosecutions of Donald Trump. However, I want to correct two small points: As I’m sure Mr. Wohlforth knows, impeachment in the House of Representatives is like being charged by a grand jury, whereas conviction (or not) in the Senate is the next step, akin to a bench trial (with 100 judges) — except it’s political, not legal.
Trump was successfully impeached (twice), but more than one-third of senators voted against conviction, so that step failed (conviction requires not a simple majority but two-thirds).
More important is the assertion that “Federal Special Counsel Jack… Smith’s efforts won’t matter if Trump is elected, because he can pardon himself for federal crimes.”
It’s certain that Trump would attempt to pardon himself. But a fundamental principle of our legal system — going back to Blackstone and, indeed, back to the Romans — is that no one can be judge in their own case (“Nemo judex in causa sua”). If the Supreme Court were to rule otherwise for Trump, its political corruption would be complete and our system of laws would be meaningless.
On the other hand, Trump certainly could, and presumably would, order the Justice Department to drop any federal proceedings against him, and they would almost certainly have to comply. But then he could be prosecuted again during the next administration.
— Rick Wicks
Anchorage
Have something on your mind? Send to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Letters under 200 words have the best chance of being published. Writers should disclose any personal or professional connections with the subjects of their letters. Letters are edited for accuracy, clarity and length.