Democrats have recently tried to make a big deal out of Senator McConnel’s stating that he is not an impartial juror. What people fail to realize is that none of us, when called to jury duty, are supposed to be impartial jurors. Our legal system is based on the principle that someone is innocent until proven guilty. This principle is the reason for the 5th Amendment that protects us from self-incrimination. It is also the reason why we have trials by juries and to be found guilty a unanimous decision is required. It is also found in the 14th Amendment’s requirement of equal protection under the law and it is the underlying principle of “due process”.

What innocent until proven guilty means is that we assume everyone accused of a crime did not do it. The government has the responsibility to provide evidence that proves beyond a reasonable doubt that our assumption is wrong. It is not enough for the government to come in and say, this person committed a crime, trust us, they must provide evidence of a crime and that the accused performed the criminal act. If they cannot do this then we go with our assumption that the accused was innocent.

How does this affect juries? The jury is, theoretically, predisposed to believe the accused is innocent of the crime they are being tried for. The jury is supposed to be open minded and faithfully consider the evidence, but if no or weak evidence is provided of guilt, the defendant, without providing any defense, should be found not guilty.

We are losing this understanding, especially in the more liberal minds of our country. We can see this when a person is accused of something and people clamor for a trial so justice (defined as a conviction) can be obtained. It is not justice when guilt is predetermined, that is a kangaroo court. We see the same thing in the Democrats attitude and actions with regards to President Trump. First, they know he has broken the law and if they could just get access to all areas of his life they could find out what that law was and convict him for it. Next is the way Speaker Pelosi has tried to force rules on the Senate for impeachment to ensure he is found guilty. These actions go against the basic principle of innocent until proven guilty. And this is why Senator McConnel’s statement that he is not an impartial jurist is not the miscarriage of justice that Democrats and most of the media would have us believe. And why Speaker Pelosi's position, is.