I struggled to pick a headline for this story, because there are so many good ones. For example, I considered, “If your boss told you to rob a 7-11, would you do it?”
Here’s the story (read the rest of it here):
“Lawyers representing David Shafer, the embattled chairman of the Georgia Republican Party, are arguing their client should not be charged with any crimes for his actions following the 2020 election because he was following advice provided by attorneys working for former President Donald Trump, according to a letter sent to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis last week.”
I know what you’re thinking, and I am, too: The Nuremberg defendants tried the “I was only following orders” defense, but the Allies hanged them anyway. Shafer’s lawyers surely are familiar with this history; almost everybody is. And Atlanta courtrooms aren’t exactly friendly territory; Shafer and his cronies tried to suppress Atlanta voters as possible, then tried to override them.
Now he may face a jury of the very people he tried to prevent electing a president who isn’t racist. Atlanta, if you didn’t know, is 47% black (details here), and the D.A. who’ll prosecute him is a black woman. Wolves, enjoy your lunch.
Several January 6 rioters have tried the “Trump told me to do it” gambit at their trials and/or sentencings. None got anywhere with it, so why do Shafer’s lawyers think it’ll work for him? Maybe they don’t, and it’s simply the best argument to choose from a menu of bad ones.
“The devil made me do it” may work for kids at times, but doesn’t cut it after age 18 in most jurisdictions. These people are adults and responsible for their actions. The law is clear: To get out of criminal responsibility for their actions, they have to be adjudicated legally insane, i.e. so mentally impaired they don’t know right from wrong.
They might have some luck arguing no Republican knows right from wrong. That argument, at least, has a ring of plausibility to it.