Donald Trump is a convicted felon. Whether one likes that fact or not, the former president now joins millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Mississippians who are likewise convicted felons.
Trump’s conviction was no doubt the source of an overreaching, overzealous District Attorney, Alvin Bragg. As a father of a high school cheerleader, I have seen many cartwheels and back-handsprings, but my daughter’s maneuvers pale in comparison to the legal gymnastics Bragg and his team used to convict Trump. Bragg’s actions are a prime example of the need for criminal justice reform.
Many are upset following this recent trial, and they should be. A system where even one rogue prosecutor can deploy questionable legal tactics to convict a political rival calls into question the fairness and legitimacy of the system itself. Whether a former president or a citizen of Alcorn County, Americans should be protected from prosecutorial overreach. Unfortunately, we see similar situations unfold throughout Mississippi daily. If you’re mad about what happened to Trump, you should be equally outraged at what routinely happens to Mississippi citizens.
Strengthening Mississippi’s public defender system would be a step in the right direction. Public defenders play a critical role in protecting the rights of the accused, particularly those who can’t afford an attorney. While Trump had a team of high-powered attorneys defending him in court and was still convicted of these bogus charges, many Mississippians who are accused of crimes can’t even afford an attorney. That’s where public defenders step in. The presumption of innocence is one of our country’s foundational legal principles, and public defenders stand between overzealous prosecutors and an easy, sometimes unjust, conviction.
Throughout my career as a lawyer practicing primarily criminal defense, I have appeared in every circuit district in this state. More often than not, I have found that prosecutors work hard and seek an amicable resolution for the cases before the court. They take pride in their jobs, and I believe many earnestly seek to perform their tasks
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