THIS CITIZEN HAS ALREADY BEEN PUNISHED ENOUGH
A “NOT GUILTY” VERDICT DOES NOT CURE EVERYTHING
Continuing, lawyer Washington pointed out the stigma which attaches to an indictment for serious federal charges, particularly for an ambitious politician, with his eye on the Governor’s Mansion:
“You know and I know that [the Texas Speaker] will never be Governor of this State because the most that he will ever get from all that he has been through is a not guilty verdict. There is a difference between not guilty and never having been charged, and for the rest of his life he will have to go around and try to explain to people that didn’t hear your verdict – because you can be sure that it won’t be played in the newspapers, in the media, for as many days running as was the charge that has been leveled against him.”
