Justice served or 'kangaroo court'? Legal fallout of Donald Trump's felony conviction

WASHINGTON (TND) — Reaction to Donald Trump’s felony conviction in Manhattan on Thursday continues to pour in, highlighting deep divisions among Americans. Some view the verdict as justice served. For others, it's proof of a "kangaroo court."

"I feel it’s such vindication of the rule of law," Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md.,told MSNBC.

"There’s a lot that’s happened over the past year that I think Americans should look really hard at," said Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche to Fox News.

Critics are taking issues with the charges themselves, misdemeanors Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg ramped up to felonies.

"There’s no crime here. Nobody can figure out what the actual crime is," explained Alan Dershowitz, a criminal and constitutional law expert.

Those on Trump's side of the debate also take issue with the judge. The defense argued Judge Juan Merchan should have recused himself due to a conflict of interest with his daughter’s company. He didn’t, leading critics to point to his ruling in the prosecution's favor in various instances.

He wouldn’t allow us to have witnesses, he wouldn’t allow us to talk, he wouldn’t allow us to do anything," said Trump during a speech on Friday.

All of this leads to allegations that the trial was the result of Democrats weaponizing the justice system against a Republican presidential candidate.

“I woke up heartbroken for our country because the precedent set is if you don’t like somebody’s politics, you should use the American system of law and order to try and destroy them," said Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio. "That’s 250 years of legal tradition. The Biden folks are tearing it up to win an election."

On the other side, Democrats say this shows no one, not even presidents, is above the law.

"I think we can feel proud that the system of justice and the rule of law within liberal Democracy has survived," said Raskin.

Former Republicans like Rick Wilson, a co-founder of the Lincoln Project, agree.

Donald Trump is a criminal. The rule of law held. The institutions held. This wasn’t masterminded by Joe Biden. It’s not the deep state. It’s just a jury of Donald Trump’s peers who looked at the evidence of the crimes he committed and found him guilty," said Wilson.

Dershowitz tells us he worries about the precedent just set.

We’re going to see retaliation. Local DAs across the country will start to indict Democrats and get local juries to do tit for tat. It’s a very bad day for America."

Meanwhile, Congress is getting involved.

House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is calling on DA Alvin Bragg to come to Capitol Hill on June 13 to testify about Trump’s prosecution.