Words and Phrases We Could Do Without

“Justice” has nothing to do with it. That department needs a new name.

The motto on the Department of Justice seal, “Qui Pro Domina Justitia Sequitur," translates to "Who prosecutes on behalf of Lady Justice.”

But…wait.

The acting D.C. U.S. attorney Ed Martin recently insisted he and lawyers in his office are “Trump’s lawyers.” (At least he’s honest?)

In the Musk-Trump regime, the Justice Department is not acting as the people’s lawyers or acting in the interests of the legal system writ large. On the contrary, Trump’s systematic attack on the apolitical norms and ethical guides that govern all prosecutors has been nothing short of jaw-dropping.

The basic obligations of prosecutors are spelled out under the American Bar Association standards, which reads, in part: “The primary duty of the prosecutor is to seek justice within the bounds of the law, not merely to convict.” Moreover, notwithstanding Martin’s assertion, “The prosecutor serves the public interest and should act with integrity and balanced judgment to increase public safety both by pursuing appropriate criminal charges of appropriate severity, and by exercising discretion to not pursue criminal charges in appropriate circumstances.”