EDIT: Can folks please stop using the downvote as an "I disagree" button. I upvoted Admiral Patrick because they're providing a meaningful contribution to discussion even if I disagree with the point. That's why it's called a discussion. They understand we disagree with our words, we don't need to downvote them to hell to get that point across, jeeze.

With all due respect, Admiral Patrick, this is a democracy, and the people who take these positions knowingly take them being public positions. By virtue of being a public position, they are respondent to the public.

If it was an "angry mob" of protestors outside of Aileen Cannon's house, I doubt we'd have the same issue with it, but law enforcement would.

If you take such a position and care more about your own life and skin then, in my humble opinion, you do not meed the bare minimum requirements for this position. This is a democracy and you are sacrificing yourself to the alter of the public good when you take such a job, up to and including dying to protect democracy.

You don't say "well I need to roll over to protect myself" when the outcome means you're letting all the most at risk suffer even worse under the thumb of someone like Trump. You just threw the weakest under the bus to save your own skin, which means you should have never been given the job to begin with, because you're supposed to represent everyone, not just the wealthy and well-to-do. The weakest deserve your representation and this is an abdication of that representation which means they were unsuitable for the job to begin with.

Literally, every time someone bends over and gives in because Trump might hurt them personally, that's just one cut among a death by a thousand cuts of our democracy. Each time they do it, they're sacrificing a stable society in the future to save their skins now, which in my eyes, is cowardice and antithetical to the entire position they took in the system.

We are literally slipping into fascism because of decisions like these and I do not care about Merchan's comfort when millions are suffering far worse than him, and he has just condemned them to worse by allowing this monster to walk free. He is literally telling us very clearly he values his own life more than the future of this country. He was no Nathan fucking Hale, that's for god damned sure.

Nathan Hale: "I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country"

Oh, I get it, and I'd be scared as hell too. However, I can still say he should have done his duty and has failed to show the integrity that role requires. He could just as easily be presiding over a mob case, knowing that to convict a crime boss would mean similar threats to his and his family's safety. What if he doesn't do his duty then for the same reason? If that's the best excuse, I still argue that he's not fit for the job.

People shouldn't get a pass just because they have power. All it takes for evil to win is for good men to do nothing.

They addressed your point in the last sentence. If he's too afraid to do his job, he should have recused himself.

What a phenomenal argument for abandoning the rule of law in favor of terrorism.

...A thought that hasn't occurred to me until now: are we effectively living under mob rule?

They might not make up a majority of people, but maybe they command a majority of angry mobs willing to show up at your house?

When George Floyd was murdered they had a battalion n of police outside of the killer's house to protect him. Why can't they do the same here using the national guard if needed?

So you’re saying if I’m indicted I should use violence instead of trusting the system.

Are you saying judges should be afraid to not do the right thing?