One of the most visible signs of our federal government’s corruption is the treatment being meted out to the January 6 prisoners, who have been deprived of their express and inherent rights under the Constitution, one of which is the right to an impartial judge. Dustin Thompson, however, was not accorded that right, as Judge Reggie Walton explicitly showed his political bias and hostility to Thompson. Walton should have recused himself before the trial. With the trial over, at the very least, the judgment should be reversed. Ideally, Walton would be removed from the bench and disbarred.

The Bill of Rights describes rights inherent in the individual; they are not “gifts” from the government. All Americans enjoy them automatically and the government may override these rights only by showing an overwhelming need to do so.

When it comes to the January 6 martyrs, however, the federal government under Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland has deprived these martyrs of multiple rights. Specifically:

• the First Amendment (most of the defendants were peaceably assembling because the police let them into the Capitol),
• the Fifth Amendment (for they have been deprived of life, liberty, and property for over a year without due process),
• the Sixth Amendment (they’ve been deprived of speedy trials and the right to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusations against them), and
• the Eighth Amendment (being denied bail is tantamount to impermissible excessive bail).

In addition to the explicit rights set forth above, there is an implicit right that underlies the Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments: An impartial judge or a judge who is moral enough to rise above his own prejudices in the interests of justice. Indeed, that requirement is embedded in each of the five Canons that make up the Code of Conduct for United States Judges:

Canon 1: A Judge Should Uphold the Integrity and Independence of the Judiciary

Canon 2: A Judge Should Avoid Impropriety and the Appearance of Impropriety in All Activities

Canon 3: A Judge Should Perform the Duties of the Office Fairly, Impartially and Diligently

Canon 4: A Judge May Engage in Extrajudicial Activities That are Consistent With the Obligations of Judicial Office

Canon 5: A Judge Should Refrain From Political Activity

D.C. District Court Judge Reggie Walton failed this requirement spectacularly.

What’s surprising is that Walton is not a Clinton, Obama, or Biden appointee. He is, instead, a product of the Reagan and Bush eras. However, as the last five years have demonstrated, some of the most fevered hatred for Donald Trump and his supporters comes from the “NeverTrump” crowd.

Image: Judge Reggie Walton. Public domain.

You only need to look to the Lincoln Project, Jennifer Rubin, and David French to see how the GOP/RINO conservatives were literally driven insane when Trump crashed their little D.C. party. Suddenly, it wasn’t enough to mouth conservative platitudes while quietly supporting Democrat policies that benefitted a transnational elite, all while attending the best D.C. and New York cocktail parties. Trump demanded that American politics benefit the American people and that solicitude for “the great unwashed” broke them.

And that’s how we get Judge Walton’s disgraceful behavior from the bench. The Gateway Pundit looks at what happened to Dustin Thompson in court, leading to his conviction on one felony and several misdemeanors, all revolving around his having entered the Capitol and walked out with a coatrack and bulletproof vest. (And do keep in mind that, across Democrat-run America, including D.C., the criminal justice system doesn’t even bother with non-violent theft unless it’s in the six figures or higher.)

The Gateway Pundit diagnosed a few major problems. First, Thompson was massively depressed and incapable of connecting emotionally with the jury. He just sat there. He couldn’t even describe what led to his actions on January 6 and no one came to support him at his trial.

Thompson’s defense attorney was also a travesty, calling his own client a “rioter” and “insurrectionist,” failing to introduce any pro-defense witnesses, asking Thompson “How does it feel to commit a crime?”, and showing excessive social warmth to the prosecutors, whom he treated as his buddies. Talk about incompetent counsel, something which is also a ground for a retrial.

The worst thing, though, was Judge Walton, who insulted Thompson in front of the jury for daring to support a president of whom Walton disapproved:

As the defense played Trump’s speech before the jury, he spoke words of disdain for President Trump and Rudy Giuliani. He did not stop.

“Anyone who follows Trump is weak-minded. Thompson is a flight risk,” Walton continued, as Thompson was shackled and taken from the courtroom.

Judge Walton, “Trump is a charlatan who caused an insurgency. He is tearing America apart. That’s the reason why our country is falling apart. I am proud of the jury for doing this.”

In 35 years as a lawyer, almost all in the leftist San Francisco Bay Area, I’ve never seen a judge show this type of bias in front of a jury, and I have seen some pretty horrible judges over the years. Walton should be disbarred. That won’t happen but his disgraceful, indecent, unprofessional conduct certainly justifies a reversal and dismissal on appeal.