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John Meredith, of Huntsville, is a former Capitol Hill lobbyist who was recognized as one of the countrys 100 most influential Black Republicans.

In a nation claiming reverence for the Lord, an oath before God cannot be meaningless.

In a nation claiming to respect the rule of law, breaking those laws can never be excused, even if it furthers the cause of a political party. In a nation where trial and punishment are only visited upon ones political enemies and those without means, justice is impossible.

Ignoring the role of Attorney General William Barr in orchestrating the demise of the rule of law in America, three actions taken by POTUS in particular have forever stained the legacy of American jurisprudence and symbolize the end to the unbiased administration of justice.

John Meredith is a contributing columnist for AL.com.John Meredith

First, and arguably the most nefarious, was granting a pardon to Arizonas disgraced xenophobic Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Convicted of disobeying a federal judge's order to stop racial profiling in detaining people thought to be in the U.S. illegally, President Trump pardoned Arpaio before he was even sentenced for his crime. What makes this act so detrimental to our criminal justice system is that POTUS used the constitutional power of his office to block a federal judge's effort to enforce the Constitution itself.

The next action taken by the President threatening the rule of law was his instructing recipients of duly served subpoenas not to honor the compulsion of their appearance. Investigation is indispensable to addressing crime. Subpoenas compel those with knowledge of a crime to share that knowledge with law enforcement or the courts. Without the knowledge gained through subpoenaed testimony, the majority of crime in America will not be prosecuted due to lack of evidence and our streets would soon teem with unaccountable felons.

The latest presidential act to redefine American justice involves the sentencing memo for convicted felon, Roger Stone. Since the 1980s, every federal criminal case resulting in conviction employs the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines for determining punishment. In Stones case, POTUS has defied his own Department of Justice by preemptively encouraging leniency to his friend, regardless of the standard to which others violating the same laws are held.

The aforementioned trifecta of judicial breaches affects both pretrial and trial viability. In addition, it mitigates findings of guilt both before and after sentencing. As a result, we now have trials without proper evidence or fact witnesses. As a result, convicted criminals may well escape punishment if their crimes benefited the rich or powerful while granting no recourse for the falsely accused.

In other words, the faithful administration of justice is functionally impossible in America today. What remains is the illusion of justice. The weight of that illusion is borne entirely by those without influence and administered by the unaccountable hands of those without mercy.

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the attack on law and order in America is the failure to protect those who come forward after witnessing blatantly illegal acts. They are the bedrock of American jurisprudence. They must be protected from retaliation, not terrorized for bearing witness to the truth.

Upon further reflection, the plethora of openly brazen political payoffs to partisan Senate jurors for the willful violation of their impeachment oaths, is the worst element of Donald Trumps assault on truth and justice. One documented example of this flagrant miscarriage of justice occurred only days after the vote for acquittal when Senator Lisa Murkowski miraculously landed a $20 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant for port infrastructure development in her home state of Alaska.

A Christian nation that fails to embody biblical teachings is an anathema to God. A democracy that does not administer justice blindly is destined for autocracy. Before the Founding Fathers roll over in their graves ashamed of what we have done with their greatest gift, citizens must summon the courage to demand the restoration of the rule of law in America. Until then, those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom will have done so in vain.

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Donald Trumps assault on truth and justice - al.com