As former presidents of the Chicago Council of Lawyers with a commitment to the integrity of our profession, we condemn the blatantly political order to dismiss the indictment against New York Mayor Eric Adams.
The memo ordering dismissal stated explicitly that the order was made “without assessing the strength of the evidence or the legal theories on which the case is based.” It was made to reward Adams’ obeisance to President Donald Trump in supporting roundups of immigrants. The agreement is so clear that the motion to dismiss is “without prejudice,” meaning the indictment against Adams could be reinstated if Adams does not fulfill his part of the bargain.
This action is so contrary to the rule of law, the standards of the Department of Justice, and the ethics of the legal profession, that the Acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York resigned rather than dismiss the indictment. Seven former U.S. attorneys for the Southern District of New York, both Republicans and Democrats, have lauded her integrity. The heads of the Public Integrity Section in Washington also resigned rather than succumb to this subversion of justice. We applaud these courageous public servants.
Even worse, Emil Bove III, the acting deputy attorney general who ordered the dismissal, has ordered an investigation of those with the integrity to refuse his order. This is meant to deter those prosecutors who would refuse to carry out unethical orders. Justice has been turned upside down.
These actions by the Trump regime echo some of the worst abuses of Nixon administration that the Council of Lawyers and other bar associations condemned during the Watergate years and should be roundly condemned now by all those who continue to believe in the rule of law.
John Schmidt, Martin Oberman, Arnie Kanter, Judd Miner, Robert Graham, Locke Bowman, David Melton, Robert Bennett, George Galland and Carrie Huff, former presidents, Chicago Council of Lawyers
SEND LETTERS TO: letters@suntimes.com. To be considered for publication, letters must include your full name, your neighborhood or hometown and a phone number for verification purposes. Letters should be a maximum of approximately 375 words.
Shutting down gun violence prevention
Polling data and the results of the recent election clearly show that many people who voted for the current president did so in spite of many of his personal traits and policy proposals. Yet, Donald Trump is now acting as if one of the smallest margins of victory in the popular vote has given him a mandate to do whatever he would like, including dismantling the federal government, disengaging the United States from any public health responsibilities and ignoring the crisis of gun violence that is unique to America (to name a few).
If you are one of the millions who cast an unenthusiastic vote for Trump and disagree with the outrageous and potentially illegal actions he and his administration have initiated, now is the time to make your voice heard.
As a parent and a Chicagoan, the uniquely American and tragic epidemic of gun violence deeply concerns me. Somehow, we have become used to metal detectors and armed guards at concerts, clear bags at football games and the endless stream of news stories about mass shootings. Americans have all paid both a figurative and literal price for this crisis, as we shoulder higher insurance premiums and taxes, and our schools pour millions of dollars into artificial intelligence systems to detect guns and “harden” classrooms, instead of purchasing books or funding art programs.
Within hours of Trump’s inauguration, his administration shuttered the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Opponents of efforts to regulate guns often place the blame for gun violence at the feet of mental health issues. Although this claim is spurious at best, even if this office limited its efforts to improving mental health, it could still potentially help stem the crisis. Indeed, even if the gun violence prevention office created policies that reduced gun violence in America by even 5%, we could save over 2,400 lives: nearly as many people as those killed in the Sept. 11 attacks.
Trump campaigned on making America safe, but his misguided approach to the gun violence epidemic will certainly make us less safe. We need evidence-based, bipartisan solutions. Gun violence impacts everyone. We owe it to ourselves and our children to set aside our differences and work together to solve this problem immediately.
Risa Josias, Logan Square
Federal layoffs hurt America
I take issue with Sun-Times reader Larry Craig’s opinion endorsing current federal layoffs, saying that it will save money. His notion is based on the fallacy that our government should be run like a business and should not have debt. Despite its huge debt, Mr. Craig, the U.S. government is not a business and therein lies your mistake.
The purpose of a business is to make money and if there is no profit, the business will fail. However, the purpose of a government is to provide for the health and welfare of a people or nation, not to make a profit. Economists say governmental debt is expected and the norm. Apparently, Donald Trump and Elon Musk are already making a profit, filling their own pockets, not the government coffers, and the health and welfare of our nation are already being negatively affected. Although I often consider the current administration’s engaging in a grift (i.e., small-scale swindle), that is not true, because both Trump and Musk have already profited in the millions — but the health and welfare of the nation is declining on a daily basis.
Linda H. Hendelman, West Ridge