# F Merrick Garland. (He won't be going after anyone) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 19, 2022, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-merrick-garland-he-wont-be-going-after-anyone/968190 "2022-07-19T06:39:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 22
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2022, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-merrick-garland-he-wont-be-going-after-anyone/968190/421 "2022-12-24T01:39:52Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > … No adjustment of any of your arguments? If I had continued posting, _after_ Smith was appointed, that Garland should appoint a special counsel, then your accusation would have some sort of point. As it is: no. I voiced an opinion that something should happen; later, it happened. I guess I could have crowed about that development. But I didn’t see any useful reason to do so. You really are reaching. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2022, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-merrick-garland-he-wont-be-going-after-anyone/968190/422 "2022-12-24T01:44:54Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > As it is: no. I voiced an opinion that something should happen; later, it happened. I guess I could have crowed about that development. But I didn’t see any useful reason to do so. Here’s the thing Sherrerd. You’re actually reasonable. You aren’t really who I’m ranting against here. The Librarian is an anti-Garland zealot however. And you’re willfully blind in this regard. You write: > [@Sherrerd](#): > > The vitriol-overkill of many Garland apologists in this thread is a strong indicator that they cannot rely on factual arguments; they must resort to making stuff up. After… > [@The\_Librarian](#): > > Can we get some new Garland apologist pricks in here to type condescending bullshit? I mean, surely that isn’t vitriol at all. It’s just soberly making a logical point, right? 🙄 Did you bother to even look at what the vitriol _is in response to_? “How dare you punch back, that’s uncivil!” 😆 ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2022, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-merrick-garland-he-wont-be-going-after-anyone/968190/423 "2022-12-24T01:50:46Z")
The fact remains, though, that even though quite a lot has happened… nothing has happened. By this I mean that despite the mountains of very public evidence, there has been no indictment, and _ **there has been no communication as to why not.** _ I realize that Garland and the DOJ don’t want to tip their hand or anything, but this whole situation is so unusual, so public, and so significant, that at the very least there ought to be a leak or an unaffiliated talking head or something to explain what the fuck is going on. To my mind, _Trump is getting away with it._ I mean, he’s not still in power, and Congress—at least a powerful committee therein—has (finally) had some harsh words for him, but other than dealing with a zillion court cases, he’s had minimal consequences. And since the man has been dealing with a zillion court cases for decades, I’m going to go ahead and call that NO consequences. I know the mills of the gods grind slowly, but this is farcical. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2022, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-merrick-garland-he-wont-be-going-after-anyone/968190/424 "2022-12-24T02:47:23Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > By this I mean that despite the mountains of very public evidence, there has been no indictment, and _ **there has been no communication as to why not.** _ That’s frustrating for me too, but I am not a legal expert. I don’t know what needs to happen before then, for these kinds of crimes, if you want to ensure a successful prosecution. I’ll say that in my mind I’m both more hopeful and more impatient, now that we’ve had these public hearings and we have a special prosecutor. It feels like something **should** happen soon. I also feel that if it doesn’t, someone is not doing their job. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2022, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-merrick-garland-he-wont-be-going-after-anyone/968190/425 "2022-12-24T03:04:08Z")
Ari Melber over at MSNBC lights Garland up: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/DOuG8rKJd0g/maxresdefault.jpg "Coup Bombshells Put Heat On Garland To Indict Trump, Says MSNBC's Melber") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOuG8rKJd0g) TLDR version from Melber to Garland: “Are you blind?” ---
**Author:** ![GWF\_Hefel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@GWF\_Hefel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GWF_Hefel)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2022, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-merrick-garland-he-wont-be-going-after-anyone/968190/426 "2022-12-24T03:05:13Z")
I’ve watched the crimes of Nixon revealed & was disgusted by his excuses (When the President does it, it’s not a crime) and his obvious lack of remorse (except for getting caught). I’ve watched the crimes of Reagan laid out and no apologies offered or even felt to be necessary. I’ve watched the crimes of Bush committed in full view with no compunction. The crimes grow worse over the decades; the sense of shame evaporates. More and more it’s obvious laws are just to keep the little people in line. And the shills for the rule of law _no matter what_ are really no better than maggots who see no wrong in the actions of Trump. Who are these people? Those in power throw sop our way every now and then. But they abuse us time and again. And we let them–we even encourage them. We never learn; why should they? Criminal actions? Immoral actions? It’s all transactional. Suffering is for schmucks. I, personally, find it embarrassing nowadays to be an American. There are only so many excuses I can make to myself why this country does what it does. I’ve run out. Perhaps the exasperation with Garland stems from extreme disappointment. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2022, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-merrick-garland-he-wont-be-going-after-anyone/968190/427 "2022-12-24T04:30:15Z")
As I watched Volodymyr Zelenskyy address congress, and I imagined what Putin’s response to Zelenskyy’s warm reception would mean for Russian/US relations I had a thought. I thought the US is not afraid to poke nuclear armed Putin with a sharp stick, yet for some reason, we are scared to upset Donald Trump. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2022, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-merrick-garland-he-wont-be-going-after-anyone/968190/428 "2022-12-24T10:13:00Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > “How dare you punch back, that’s uncivil!” 😆 White knighting for @Aspenglow does not suit you. @Aspenglow set themselves up as an authority on this subject and made some predictions — that have been proven wrong by now : casting a new light on them being knowledgeable in any way about any of this. Calling them out after they have put many posters down because they were stupid and didn’t understand shit the way they did. They are full of it. Promising stuff in two weeks is the sign of the bullshitter. As are TL; DR posts with surprising little verifiable information. The little things that can be verified easily turn out to be bullshit. Now how should we treat the rest of their posts? @Atamasama go back read some of @Aspenglow s posts and tell me that “condescending prick” is really over the top. (Considering that every concrete prediction has just not happened) I also would like to know what “conspiracy” I was proposing. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2022, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-merrick-garland-he-wont-be-going-after-anyone/968190/429 "2022-12-24T12:16:32Z")
> [@The\_Librarian](#): > > @Aspenglow set themselves up as an authority on this subject and made some predictions — that have been proven wrong by now One of the predictions she made that you quoted is that they would wait a little longer until after the holidays. As the holidays are not over yet, this prediction has not yet been proven wrong. I’m like 90% with you, though. My arbitrary date is February 1st. If no indictments are forthcoming by then, I expect they never will be. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2022, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-merrick-garland-he-wont-be-going-after-anyone/968190/430 "2022-12-24T12:50:24Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > Ari Melber over at MSNBC lights Garland up It felt weird seeing how strongly he stressed how newly-revealed, never-before-discussed it was that the coup plan was to sow enough chaos that you could claim the electors were contested and then it would come down to a vote by state, one vote per state, which the Republicans would win easily. I remember reading discussion about that “one vote per state” contested electors concept here on the dope a long time ago. Over a year, at least. Probably within months after the insurrection itself. I was watching two hours of news commentary daily back then, but I do not remember if I heard Chris Hayes, Rachel Maddow or Ari Velshi broach the subject. I don’t think they did, but you all did. I guess I’m happy now that people on TV are talking about it, but it feels like another bizarro world moment for me where the news media were talking about the Trump tax returns that we already saw three years ago (on the front page of the New York Times!) as if this were the first time we’ve seen them. In fairness, “we just got confirmation that those tax returns from three years ago were indeed true” isn’t as snappy as “tax returns finally released!” As I go to hit reply, we did discuss that one state one vote contested electors coup plan, right? Or am I just remembering a one-off speculation post from a very insightful doper? If so, kudos to them. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2022, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-merrick-garland-he-wont-be-going-after-anyone/968190/431 "2022-12-26T01:36:32Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > My arbitrary date is February 1st. If no indictments are forthcoming by then, I expect they never will be. That seems reasonable to me. > > [@EllisDee](#): > > … we did discuss that one state one vote contested electors coup plan, right? … I’m pretty sure it was mentioned in at least one thread here that ‘if the Presidential election is thrown to the House of Representatives, the voting will be by state delegation, NOT by individual Representatives.’ That would mean that even in the pre-Nov-2022-election House, Trump would win, as there were more GOP state delegations (even though there were more Democratic Reps.) So: yeah. I, too, remember it coming up on the Dope. And Ari Melber may have over-emphasized the idea that the Grand Plan was to get the election thrown to the House–but few would dispute that some of Trump’s coup-crew were counting on it as, at least, a last resort. Many of them probably hoped, the day after the November 3, 2020 election, that court cases would take care of it for them (in other words, that one or more of the cases would result in electors being re-awarded from Biden to Trump, so that there would be no need to resort to the Twelfth Amendment ‘throw the election to the House’ process). Melber is indisputably correct, I think, that “let’s create chaos” WAS uppermost in all the planning that the ‘Trump-for-Dictator’ crowd came up with, post 11-3-2020. That strategy has been a lifelong favorite for the Horrible Orange Object himself, after all. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2022, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-merrick-garland-he-wont-be-going-after-anyone/968190/432 "2022-12-26T06:22:23Z")
We have two governors openly trafficking human beings. Where the fuck is the Justice Dept? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2022, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-merrick-garland-he-wont-be-going-after-anyone/968190/433 "2022-12-26T09:00:50Z")
They seem busy with the clueless FTX crowd. Can you imagine being so entitled that you defraud billions and don’t really realize you’re doing something wrong? For reference: That is what it looks like when the DoJ is “going after” someone: warrants, arrest, extradition, in about a month. When the crime is obvious, there are no years of “investigation”. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-merrick-garland-he-wont-be-going-after-anyone/968190/434 "2023-01-12T00:01:50Z")
Update. Sort of. > **[The Special Counsel Investigating Trump Faces Headwinds Few Others Have](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/11/us/politics/jack-smith-trump-special-counsel.html?unlocked_article_code=YwXL2Zv0lX3GM04VF8gj1jbx2jci_Iwgw-FVI_UGlLArdnOQqk301d6RObvixjNA5zzJAJpL0ZbpVoO6VAW7QhznFwF3UEMaIvxvYIg56Z5zYAPW8TfagyuqR0WGkkGtDJzAFtj9N0rjwZ7kAX0YfvKNqowM0kB4w7smBXN79GHfkYDqLVcfktpPFxP00uY5eKd30NrJvYf8ETsWAlBiZOfBp4X_tO2T97Le1cIJSP-QJtCYcKzBPquGE2eexdSNSnNt6FxSZqj5yaD6tvowQxtI8ZqhsRAMiNhHEb1f-zOZ33tfJIGwqGxv_lUZcvoE64uWbc5ywRB0kuHHwWyqWKpfv70J0DMFqgPpHQET&smid=share-url)** > > Jack Smith’s challenges include a newly empowered Republican House majority and the recent disclosures of President Biden’s retention of classified documents. > … > The actions Mr. Smith has taken since he began in November suggest a prosecutor on the move to resolve concurrent investigations into Mr. Trump’s retention of government documents and his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol before a presidential election in which his subject is a declared candidate. > > He has asked prosecutors to stress-test potential charges related to Mr. Trump’s handling of national security documents after he left office. He has called back key witnesses to scrutinize their accounts and present more information before the grand jury. He has pushed investigators [to issue dozens of subpoenas](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/12/us/politics/trump-aides-jan-6-doj.html) related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election. And he has interviewed players in Mr. Trump’s orbit to try to understand his mind-set when he held onto government records, and whether people connected to him have tried to influence witnesses. > > But even as Mr. Smith — known to colleagues as a brisk and hard-charging prosecutor — pushes toward his goal of [moving expeditiously](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/statement-special-counsel-jack-smith), he faces headwinds that other special counsels have not. The challenges are unique to investigating Mr. Trump at a time when newly empowered House Republicans have [established a committee](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/10/us/politics/house-republican-committee-weaponization-government.html) responsible for investigating the investigators who they insist are targeting their party and the former president for political purposes. > > His job only became more challenging this week after the disclosure that lawyers for President Biden had [discovered a small trove of classified documents](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/09/us/politics/biden-classified-documents.html) at a private office, which could force Attorney General Merrick B. Garland into appointing a second special counsel. > … ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-merrick-garland-he-wont-be-going-after-anyone/968190/435 "2023-02-10T02:43:17Z")
Mike Pence has been subpoenaed: > **[Mike Pence subpoenaed by special counsel overseeing Trump probes: Sources](https://abcnews.go.com/US/mike-pence-subpoenaed-special-counsel-overseeing-trump-probes/story?id=97018886)** > > Former Vice President Mike Pence has been subpoenaed by the special counsel overseeing probes into former President Donald Trump, according to multiple sources. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-merrick-garland-he-wont-be-going-after-anyone/968190/436 "2023-02-11T00:13:01Z")
Time to plead the Fifth! I wish I had the chops to write a parody of _Da Doo Ron Ron_ with _Plead the Fifth, Fifth_ prominently in the lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-merrick-garland-he-wont-be-going-after-anyone/968190/437 "2023-02-11T02:26:02Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Time to plead the Fifth! Writing an opinion piece in the WSJ might make any privilege or fifth amendment claims a little difficult. If you can tell the Wall Street Journal, you can tell the grand jury. > **[Opinion | Mike Pence: My Last Days With Donald Trump](https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-mike-pence-jan-6-president-rally-capitol-riot-protest-vote-count-so-help-me-god-stolen-election-11668018494)** > > I supported legitimate challenges to the 2020 vote counts. I also recognized that the Constitution didn’t give me authority to override the voters—and I followed my conscience on Jan. 6. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-merrick-garland-he-wont-be-going-after-anyone/968190/438 "2023-02-11T03:28:13Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Time to plead the Fifth! Does he need to though? I thought he was the only one amongst that group who didn’t break the law. That is unless just being in the room with the other coup conspirators makes him a part of it. But if that’s the case, I would not see pleading the fifth (or as I understand it, _proactively admitting guilt_) would be of any help to him here. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-merrick-garland-he-wont-be-going-after-anyone/968190/439 "2023-02-11T13:14:36Z")
I’d be shocked if it turns out Pence knowingly broke the law in any way, and not just regarding this. I feel like he doesn’t have it in him. ---
**Author:** ![Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/77aa72/32.png) [@Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fluffy_PickleSniffer)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-merrick-garland-he-wont-be-going-after-anyone/968190/440 "2023-02-11T15:11:30Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Time to plead the Fifth! I wish I had the chops to write a parody of _Da Doo Ron Ron_ with _Plead the Fifth, Fifth_ prominently in the lyrics. Your wish is my command: I met him at the golf course and he said “Mike Pence,” Da doo ron-ron-ron, Da doo ron-ron “Just do what I tell you - don’t be on the fence.” Da doo ron-ron-ron, Da doo ron-ron Yeah, my name is Pence! Yes I’ll be his defence! And when he cheats at golf Da doo ron-ron-ron, Da doo ron-ron I knew what he was doing when he said “Just lie.” Da doo ron-ron-ron, Da doo ron-ron His hands are so tiny but my oh my Da doo ron-ron-ron, Da doo ron-ron Yeah, he stole documents Yes, he don’t make no sense And when he cheats at golf Da doo ron-ron-ron, Da doo ron-ron He told me “I’m the president forevermore” Da doo ron-ron-ron, Da doo ron-ron “Get me a Big Mac when you head out the door” Da doo ron-ron-ron, Da doo ron-ron Yeah, I’ll plead the fifth Yes, I’ll support the myth And when he cheats at golf Da doo ron-ron-ron, Da doo ron-ron Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah… Da-doo-ron-ron Da-doo-ron-ron… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-merrick-garland-he-wont-be-going-after-anyone/968190.md?page=21) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/f-merrick-garland-he-wont-be-going-after-anyone/968190.md?page=23)