And I don’t say that just because my weekend column is about what a travesty the prosecution is. As Dan points out, Dutch prosecutors have recommended that he be acquitted across the board (i.e., on the incitement to hatred against Muslims charges in addition to the insulting Muslims charge that they had previously moved to dismiss). As Dan also notes in the update of his post, it is the usual course of things that the judges follow the prosecutors’ recommendation.
But, when I say “the usual course of things,” I am talking about the standard operating procedure of the Netherlands’ justice system in general, not in the Geert Wilders prosecution in particular.
Prosecutors never wanted to bring the case against Geert. In 2008, the office of the public prosecutor declined to charge him. The lunatic judges are the ones who’ve been behind this all along, representative as they are of the transnational progressive thinking responsible for having such “crimes” on the books in the first place. In 2009, the Dutch Court of Appeals issued an order essentially overruling the prosecutors and ordering that Wilders be charged. That could not happen in the U.S. federal system — at least for now — because, under separation of powers principles, prosecutorial discretion is vested absolutely in the executive branch. The judiciary can inveigh, but judges can’t force the Justice Department to charge anyone. But in the Netherlands, the court gets the last word.
I ardently hope this awful case is dropped. But there will be no sigh of relief here until the judges finally stand down.
Also, in the US system you can't indict someone without a Grand Jury!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThank you, Andy. That was very informative.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseBringing it all back home, the fact that there are 'hate crimes" on the books in the US is an abomination. Speech is protected ...but, if an act is alleged, speech will be used as evidence of hate. This is an abomination.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI'm actually glad this occured. It exposes countries, persons, and positions that willfully manipulate and abuse status to shape a particular outcome and singular viewpoint. In doing so, they unite those of us who recognize and accept reality and facts, as well as give examples to use to break free the sheeple that they attempt to herd.
Good news is, I believe Europeans are waking up as 'xenophobia' increases, not the Nazi kind, but an awareness that their society has been slowly encroached. Bad news is, by the time they say 'enough' it will most likely be turmoil (continental-wide guerrilla war?).
The sooner the intellectual aristocracy is put in check, the better.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAnd even then, as Mark Steyn points out, the process is punishment enough. Merely wondering for a year or more if you'll be hit with a hefty fine or jail time, and paying a princely sum for one's defense, is enough to make most people think twice about opening their mouths again--and decide the second time not to.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseBringing it all back home, the fact that there are hate crime laws on the books in the US is an abomination.There is supposedly free speech, but when an act is alleged to have been committed, prior speech will be used as evidence of hate, making speech unprotected.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNext will be thought crimes, and the evidence will be face expressions.
There are 864 federal judges in the US, any one of whom can make life miserable for the entire nation.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYes, but who was it that famously said that "a Grand Jury would indict a ham sandwich" !?
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