By Matt Underwood Judges don’t trust the DOJ anymore. It’s a stark reality, isn’t it? The bedrock of our justice system, the presumption of good faith in the actions of the Department of Justice, is crumbling. It feels like we’re watching the slow, painful dismantling of a system designed to be impartial, replaced by one that seems increasingly susceptible to political manipulation. This isn’t a new phenomenon, but the intensity and brazenness with which it’s happening now are alarming. We’re seeing a growing bipartisan concern about this very issue.
The erosion of trust is multifaceted. It begins with the simple act of a DOJ lawyer misrepresenting facts in court, or presenting fabricated “evidence”. That act, if proven deliberate, should be a fireable offense. It should be met with legal action, like an arrest, a charge, and ultimately incarceration. But, it rarely is. It’s almost become a sick joke, and it erodes the public’s confidence in the very foundations of our legal system. It is time the DOJ and its lawyers are held to account.
Judges, who are accustomed to being presented with accurate information, are now being lied to. It’s a fundamental breach of trust, and they resent it, rightfully so. They see through the distortions, the carefully crafted narratives designed to advance a particular agenda. It’s a bitter pill to swallow when you’re tasked with upholding justice, and the very entity meant to assist in that endeavor is actively undermining it. If the DOJ’s lawyers continue to go beyond the pale of honesty, they should be punished. The judiciary is the last line of defense from those that are acting outside of law. The power is with the judicial system.
Trump’s behavior has amplified the problem, hasn’t it? He’s created an environment where the DOJ’s commitment to justice seems to be subverted by outside political influence. This extends to the judiciary itself. When judges are appointed based on political affiliation rather than their commitment to the law, the perception of bias becomes unavoidable. The fear now is that judges are simply doing whatever Trump tells them to do. It’s a disheartening shift from a system based on objective legal principles to one potentially dictated by political whims.
It’s not just about the actions of individuals within the DOJ. The very structure of the court system, and the Supreme Court in particular, is now under question. The lack of accountability at the highest levels of the judiciary has exacerbated the problem. Even when lower courts try to hold the line and uphold the law, decisions are routinely overturned by the Supreme Court. The highest court in the land often seems to enable the behavior of those they are meant to oversee. The problem with a corrupt SCOTUS is that it seeps into all levels of the judicial system.
The “presumption of regularity” is a legal principle that’s being exploited and the law has to be clear, it has to be black and white. It is often that official actions comply with any necessary formalities. The judges are supposed to have no bias, but it’s hard to make that determination when it’s not always so clear anymore. A lawyer’s job, as is often stated, is to present the facts in a way that best supports their client. However, when those facts are misrepresented, when the truth is deliberately obscured, trust evaporates.
Ultimately, the lack of trust in the DOJ boils down to a fundamental erosion of faith. The system has to earn trust. It’s a necessary quality when the stakes are this high. Judges are simply no longer being trusted. We need to go beyond the rhetoric and take concrete steps to ensure that justice is served. It’s time for more accountability, for consequences for those who abuse their power, and for a judiciary that truly operates above the influence of politics.