The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that lawyer James Saunders, who previously worked for the Internal Revenue Service, violated the law by voting twice in both the 2020 and 2022 national elections. His public defender Scott Roger Hurley—he’s on the right above— is arguing that his client should be acquitted because it was “an accident.” “Mistakes do happen, accidents do happen,” he told the court.
Suuuuure.
Saunders voted in two separate locations in two separate states: Cuyahoga County in Ohio, and Broward County in Florida, and in both elections. “The fact that you do that in consecutive general elections I think takes ‘accident’ to the land of imaginary doubt, and not reasonable doubt,” the prosecutor said.
Ya think?
Lawyers are supposed to give their clients the benefit of the doubt, but they are also prohibited from aiding a client in lying to the court when they know it is a lie. I would rate this particular defense as outrageous and unbelievable on its face. Saunders’ attorney’s obligation are to 1) tell him that he should plead guilty, 2) that his chances of keeping his law license will be diminished by making a ridiculous claim in the trial to weasel out of an obvious crime, and 3) that if he insists on such a transparently dishonest defense, he can find another lawyer to represent him.
Meanwhile, The Plain Dealer emphasizes that Saunders is a Trump supporter and contributed to the former President’s campaigns. “Shaker Heights attorney, a Trump supporter, tells judge he voted twice in last two elections by accident,” the headline says. The usual biased and suspects in the news media naturally followed the leader (or the Dealer):“Trump-supporting Ohio lawyer admits voting twice in past elections” is Raw Story’s take.
Fact: the unethical conduct of a single supporter of any candidate or elected official is completely irrelevant to assessing the character or trustworthiness of those politicians. This is pure bias and a deliberate manipulation of the news for partisan goals.
“Former President Donald Trump is still blaming “voter fraud” for his defeat in the 2020 presidential election. Although there is no evidence to show there was any fraud significant to shift the election, individual cases of voter fraud — many of which were allegedly perpetrated by Trump supporters — are prosecuted every year,” the Plain Dealer adds at the end of the story. Yeah, and the Cleveland Indians went into the All-Star Game in good shape to win the AL Central Division. And Gary Cooper was a hell of an actor. Those statements would be equally appropriate to end the story. Trying to imply that Trump’s allegations are in any way undermined by the actions of a supporter he doesn’t even know and had no control over, or that Saunders is somehow more accountable because of which candidates he voted for is hackery squared.
Nah, there’s no mainstream media bias…
Ethics Alarms 
I think the solution to all the election fraud going on might be for Trump supporters to openly rig elections. Leftists don’t care about truth or ethics, but they do care about winning. Show them that their insecure elections are riggable in someone else’s favor and they will secure those elections real quick. Not ethical, but probably effective.
I was going to make the same point. Nothing would lock up election security faster than some republicans committing election fraud.
It would be remarkably easy. Election records are public. Before the election, look up a bunch of democrat voters. Have a list, each person at a different poling place. Just go at the poll opening time and start voting. Go from polling place to poling place. When the real voter shows up, alarm bells will go off. When the investigation shows that it is ONLY democrats that got cheated this way, the left will flip out.
Every time “irregularities” show up around elections, I really want to just go to the standard of photo ID, some way of clearing the rolls frequently and my favorite dipping a thumb in ink once you vote so it is very clear that you have.
Wow. I have said precisely the same things on occasions to many to list…including the ink on the thumb, which I believe I first saw in Iraqi elections after Saddam Hussein was ousted.
How does a lawyer with both an assumed Florida and Ohio residence warrant a public defender? I suppose it is possible that he only had one residence and voted using those mail-in ballots that were so ubiquitous in those years. It seems to me that he would have noticed that different people were running on those ballots.
I was wondering the same thing. The lawyer cannot afford anything but a public defender?
I don’t think it’s possible to vote in two different elections and not know you are doing it. I might believe that watching the shenanigans that goes on led some people to believe voting in two elections was legal, but I would hope a lawyer was educated enough not to be one of them.
Well, if you saw my bank account . . . .
jvb
PS: me snickering!!!! Man, I think I am much funnier than I actually am.
On the bright side, I saw two hawks chasing a cat this morning while walking Lord Remington Winchester Burger, I, Esq., Dog of Letters. Remy joined the chase, much to the cat’s dismay, though Remy’s love of snacks prevented him from engaging directly in the fray – the cat and the hawks were fast and nimble where Remy simply trundled across the street. It was cool. The cat escaped unscathed but, wow, those hawks can fly and fly fast. They would have had the cat if they could have maneuvered the house’s corner better, which gave the cat a chance to duck under a patio deck. The cat wasn’t happy but I thought it was wonderful, even though I had mixed emotions about it. I love cats but share an affinity for the raptors (there are 5 or 6 frickin’ ‘uge hawks flying around our house and they are gorgeous beasts!).
jvb
My guess is that lawyers higher up the food chain wouldn’t represent him if he was going to try the “it was a an accident!” excuse. Remember, someone has to defend him.