Attention Doherty — It’s Called The Bill Of Rights

Specifically the Sixth Amendment, enacted way back in 1791 by those Founding Fathers you Republicans are always talking about. “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial . . . and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.”

But Brendan Doherty continues with his odious television ad campaign conflating the integrity of criminal defense attorneys with that of the people they represent. The right to legal representation when facing criminal charges is one of the things that makes this country great, but the system only works if it works for everybody.

For one thing, the right to an attorney protects the citizenry from those people in positions of power (politicians and police officers for instance) who may want to “disappear” a person for political or personal reasons. It helps innocent people negotiate a complex legal system and ensures that even the guilty will be properly charged. If Doherty doesn’t understand these basic legal precepts after spending his life as a law enforcement officer than he is not smart enough to legislate in Washington. On the other hand, if he does understand all this then he must be engaging in the lowest form of demagoguery, linking Representative Cicilline with the behavior of his clients in the minds of low-information voters. Cicilline did not “work for” child molesters and pedophiles as stated in one ad, he represented them.

I would include a link to the relevant videos for these ads but they are nowhere to be found on YouTube nor, tellingly, on Brendan Doherty’s own website.