Joseph A. Hayden, Jr. Featured Columnist in Insider NJ Regarding Potential Legal Peril Arising out of January 6th Commission
Joseph A. Hayden, Jr., Co-Chair of the Criminal Defense and Governmental and Internal Investigations practices at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, authored the Insider NJ column, “Trump and Cohorts Now Facing Extreme Legal Peril.” The column discusses the potentially criminal conduct exposed by the January 6th Commission and opines that “[i]n our post-election nightmare, the center held and I believe the moral arc of our government is bending toward justice.”
People have suggested to me that Attorney General Merrick Garland is too cautious and conservative to indict a former president, but in the face of the above evidence and the powerful presentation of the January 6th Commission, he almost has no choice. What Trump attempted to do would have destroyed our democracy. Garland may be cautious but he is also principled, and a failure to indict out of fear would be branded as the appeasement of a would-be dictator. Garland surely knows that a would-be dictator or cannot be bargained with – he can only be defeated and destroyed.
I have spoken to people who are exasperated by Trump’s ability to wiggle out of jams in the past. They say he is just lucky and will “luck out again.” I have practiced law for 53 years and have been involved in and closely followed politics in this state and nationally. The one thing I have consistently seen is that a person’s luck always runs out.