Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018 | 2 a.m.
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The Sept. 28 letter “Kavanaugh is not on trial” argues that because Judge Brett Kavanaugh is not on trial, the presumption of innocence is irrelevant.
That is disingenuous and untrue.
The main case in point that a grand jury examines evidence concerning criminal cases to determine whether to indict. These are not trials, they are hearings, but even here, there is a presumption of innocence; prosecutors must show enough evidence to convince the grand jury to bind the defendant over for trial.
These Senate hearings might not be an official criminal trial, but the presumption of innocence must be held paramount, otherwise a simple accusation can ruin any person’s life, whether a nominee for the federal bench or an ordinary person like you or me who might fall victim to somebody’s personal vendetta.
