ALITO: Immunity for Exiting Presidents is Justified as They Might Cling to Power in Response. WHAT?

[babylonsister]

ALITO: Immunity for Exiting Presidents is Justified as They Might Cling to Power in Response. WHAT?
Thursday, April 25, 2024 at 4:43:15p EDT
Munchausen



snip//

“A stable, democratic society requires that a candidate who loses an election, even a close one, even a hotly contested one, leave office peacefully,” said Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., who added that if a president fears prosecution after they leave office, it could encourage to try to cling to power.

A criminal prosecution of Trump could "lead us into a cycle that destabilizes the functioning of our country as a democracy," he said.

So — let me get this straight: Alito is making the argument that an ex-President should never be charged with a crime they committed...because (gasp!) they’ll “fear prosecution” (yes, that tends to happen with criminals who are indicted with crimes — they usually aren’t happy about it)...and “cling to power” — meaning that they’ll refuse to leave office and engage in insurrection — and THAT’s the logic for not charging an ex-President for crimes they committed? That we should never hold ex-Presidents accountable for their CRIMES because they might commit the crime of insurrection because they’re BUMMED about being indicted?

Huh. That’s odd, because I always thought that NOT holding those in power accountable for their crimes is what leads to fascism. I must have been reading the WRONG CONSTITUTION.

Not to mention the obvious fact that there is no precedent of a U.S. president engaging in insurrection before Trump, therefore employing the specter of insurrection as a tool to *not prosecute for insurrection* (or any other crime committed), is Ionesco-level absurd, as it not only implies that every future president would be as insane as Trump — but that every *past* President, as well, was so fragile that they were just a broken tea-cup away from engaging in insurrection.

Alito here is not only justifying both immunity AND the insurrection by surreally blaming “fear of prosecution” (hey, Trump just engaged in insurrection because he didn’t want to be prosecuted for his crimes, so let’s just not indict ex-Presidents — see: citizens — for crimes they’ve committed anymore; problem solved!) he’s essentially making the argument that NOBODY who’s been in power should ever be prosecuted for crimes they committed when they’re about to leave their position because they might commit more crimes to prevent being prosecuted.

more...

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/4/25/2237269/-Samuel-Alito-Immunity-for-Ex-Presidents-is-Justified-Because-They-ll-Cling-to-Power-Wait-WHAT

[Irish_Dem]

1. A corrupt political hack too lazy to come up with believable lies.

[babylonsister]

2. He and they sound so dumb. Why is that acceptable to them?

Beggars belief.

[Irish_Dem]

3. It tells us they do not care what the public thinks of them.

They don't even care enough to cover up their corruption and lack of work ethic.

They live a life of luxury on billionaire bribes and have lifetime job security.

It is a big F you to the American people.

[littlemissmartypants]

10. Are we sure they aren't huffing glue in their offices at this point?

JESIZ FACKIN KRYST!!

[Irish_Dem]

24. Drug or alcohol use would not surprise me.

These rigid repressed types usually need something to get them through the day.

[Ponietz]

4. Heads I win tails you lose

Despicable

[Silent Type]

5. Well, at least he said trump should have left office peacefully. Then, Alito got all trumpy.

[Ocelot II]

6. Wouldn't a better argument be that the fear of prosecution might deter a president

from committing crimes in the first place?

[DallasNE]

17. It Didn't Deter Trump

Nor did it deter Nixon. But it did deter the other 43 Presidents before Trump. The Ford pardon of Nixon now looms large - and it was only a matter of time.

[TeamProg]

22. That is the way most normal people would look at crime vs. punishment. Alito's view

doesn’t demand accountability.

What a weirdo. I guess we’ve known that.

[Deuxcents]

7. Makes about as much sense as his reason for dismantling Roe.

Alito cited Sir Matthew Hale 6-7 times from his writings in the 17th century…around 1673. Hale had a hand in securing executions of two women as witches, wrote about marital rape exemptions. Where he gets his conclusions for issues that don’t address 21st century problems is frightening.

[PufPuf23]

8. Immunity for Corrupt USSC Justices is Justified just BECAUSE: Alito

USSC needs to be expanded for practical reasons.

The corrupt members of the USSC need to be removed first.

There needs to be the political path to appoint competent and fair justices.

Suggest no more lifetime terms but 20 year terms.

Our legal system is an ongoing crime scene.

There is spectacle on TV and rot in our communities.

[KS Toronado]

9. That's reaching the bottom of the barrel for excuses to support him

And makes absolutely no sense at all.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

11. Mockalito is stupid, insane, and unfit.

[littlemissmartypants]

12. He sounds so stupid. What the fack ...is he drunk? On drugs?

[Turbineguy]

13. Well they can always make the ruling apply to trump.

If he gets elected, he'll be prez for life and he can always change it.

[Diraven]

14. Irony is dead

Does he not see the irony in saying that Trump should have immunity for precisely for the crime of trying to illegally stay in office, or else presidents will try to illegally stay in office?

[Think. Again.]

27. That's why I think he's just trolling us...

He knows they won't make any kind of serious decision on this, that they are just delaying it all for trump, and so none of it matters to him.

[lastlib]

15. I spent hours......

looking for that argument in the Records of the Federal Convention of 1787, but I couldn't find it. I KNOW it's in there somewhere........maybe in Volume 5?*

- - - - - - - - - - - -
(*there IS no Vol. 5 of the Records)

Sammy, you're just a friggin' IDIOT!

[Prairie Gates]

16. Lawyer Brigade will explain how this makes sense

[moondust]

18. "self-pardon" should also be invalid

as it would have the same effect as "total immunity" in potentially "turning the Oval Office into the seat of criminal activity in this country,” as so well stated by Justice KBJ.

This immunity case is a complete farce.

[niyad]

19. May all involved receive everything they deserve.

[Ilsa]

20. Alito should be impeached for his

fear-mongering, manipulative idiocy.

[TeamProg]

21. That's just nuts. nt

[budkin]

23. Absolute horseshit

Cynical fascist MFer!

[malaise]

25. Alito is a raving RW lunatic

Smelvis already tried to cling to power after losing.

[Think. Again.]

26. I'm beginning to think Alito is just trolling the public...

...with some of the idiocies he's spewed during this hearing.

[Just_Vote_Dem]

29. You may be right

He is not answerable to anyone, he knows Congress will never impeach him, so he can spew nonsense.

[ProfessorGAC]

28. There Would Be A Slice Of Logic There...

...if not for the part about TFG doing EXACTLY what Alito fears BEFORE he was indicted.
So, the motivation for J6 wasn't to avoid prosecution.
The crimes were committed in an effort to cling to power!
So, the slice of logic doesn't even apply to TFG.

[Autumn]

30. Does he have a brain disorder? How anyone can consider that swill as a reason to

give a person immunity from any crimes they have committed is severely damaged and/or mentally ill.

[Mossfern]

39. That's precisely what I've been thinking

Is there any vehicle to determine if a Supreme Court judge is competent?
I think these guys have been slipped some mind altering drugs.
Trump's attorney too.

[Autumn]

41. They are so off base. I have known mentally challenged people that have more reasoning skills

and are capable of making much more sense than these creatures.

[Kid Berwyn]

31. Sammy Alito has always wanted to be a Wartime Consigliere

And he works for Barzini (“After all, we are not Communists.”)

[Wonder Why]

32. Hey, Ali, baby! Trying to cement your position as the worst judge of the worst SCOTUS in American History?

[Martin68]

33. OK. It appears Alito is now cognitively impaired. Get him off the bench.

I mean, Alito is saying that if we deny a presidential criminal immunity he or she might commit a crime, so we must give them immunity to avoid more crimes. this guy should lose his law license at the very least.

[bluestarone]

34. You see here, the whole fucking problem is

These crazy fucking SC judges can say and do ANYTHING!! These fuckers know they are untouchable!!

[eShirl]

35. He must really suck at chess.

[Progressive dog]

36. I thought SCOTUS wa supposed to rule

on what the Constitution says. What else can we expect from someone who finds judicial precedent in the rulings of witch hunters.

[soldierant]

37. Presidents are people. What holds for Presidents should hold for peopl,

psychologically speaking.

So what he is saying is that punishment encourages recidivism.

So, according to Alito, we should throw everyone who is in prison out, in order to reduce recidivism?

[Faux pas]

38. I've got nothing...

[EndlessWire]

40. Jockeying for position

The more they open their mouths, the less respect they get. He's trying angles on which he can hang an opinion to safeguard Trump. That is the most absurd thing I have heard of since...yesterday...