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It’s Time to Acknowledge Politicians Should Face Jail Time Like Everyone Else

9 min readMar 28, 2025

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8Image created by author in Adobe Photoshop

A little over a year ago, I was summoned for jury duty. Given that I’m self-employed, I assumed they’d dismiss me, but the judicial system shows no favoritism, so I quickly found myself in a room of other potential jurors for a trial on animal cruelty. Most everyone didn’t want to be there, and so, when the lawyers began questioning potential jurors, many men and women gave emotional pleas about how they’d be unable to judge objectively, given they were animal lovers.

However, when the lawyers questioned one potential juror, the room quickly turned awkward. The lead prosecutor had the young man stand up and then asked, “On your intake questionnaire, you stated that the justice system is broken. Can you expand?”

“Sure,” he politely responded, and then launched into a tirade. “Let’s say the judge up there or one of you lawyers gets a DUI because you went too hard with your buddies after work. You’re not going to jail. You’re not going to get the book thrown at you like the rest of us because you have connections and the law on your side. You’ll make it disappear or lawyer up yourself…

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The Panopticon
The Panopticon

Published in The Panopticon

The Panopticon is a place for nuanced discussions on hot topics, politics, philosophy, and more. Break free from echo chambers, sparking critical thinking for a well-rounded perspective.

Benjamin Sledge
Benjamin Sledge

Written by Benjamin Sledge

Multi-award winning author | Combat wounded veteran | Mental health specialist | Occasional geopolitical intel | Graphic designer | https://benjaminsledge.com

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