'Americans have rights': Expert says Trump cases must be handled with 'deliberate speed'
The courts must handle Donald Trump's criminal cases with "deliberate speed" to ensure Americans are properly informed about the allegations at hand, a former federal prosecutor said Saturday.
Joyce Vance, who earlier in the day said Trump's lawyer claiming the former president can't be tried criminally if he retakes the White House is "contrary to the American notion of justice," wrote on her Substack that the recent decisions rejecting Trump's civil and criminal arguments for immunity meant "big losses for Trump."
But guilty or not, the appeals court and the Supreme Court must give proper consideration to the speed of the process in order for citizens to make an informed decision in 2024, according to Vance.
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"It’s incumbent upon the appellate courts to handle these matters with all deliberate speed. Appeals take time, and Trump, like all criminal defendants, is entitled to have his case fairly considered with no prejudgement," Vance wrote. "But at the same time, Americans have rights that need to be protected. Our criminal justice system has to have the ability to let a jury decide whether a former president should be held accountable for his conduct. If we can’t hold the powerful accountable then it’s not the system Americans need and deserve. The District of Columbia prosecution is currently on track for a March trial. It’s up to the court of appeals and ultimately the Supreme Court to make sure that happens."
She further argued that Democracy itself is both on the ballot and the court docket.
"Democracy is on the ballot in 2024, but it’s also on the docket—the courts’ dockets. Their job is to make sure there is a process for Trump that is fair and efficient, but also one that gets the criminal cases in position, consistent with due process concerns, for juries to decide the question of Trump’s guilt, or not, in each case," the ex-prosecutor wrote. "That’s how our system works. Excessive delay, whether it’s a Trumpian strategy or court condoned/imposed is unacceptable. Americans need to know how juries of our peers assess the evidence against the former president before we vote in 2024. Only the courts can make sure that happens."