Criminal law lesson for Delay

I do not play politics in my head with the glee of my esteemed elder brother. But something caught my ear on NPR yesterday.

A Texas prosecutor, Ronnie Earle, brought charges against Senator Tom Delay alleging criminal conspiracy to beat Democrats silly with piles of campaign funds. Or something to that effect. When the indictment came through, Delay issued a statement that ended:

"This indictment is nothing more than prosecutorial retribution by a partisan Democrat."

Weeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllllllllllllll, no. Not just that. An indictment comes after a grand jury hears enough to think that, if the accused mounts no defense, there is enough to find the guy guilty. And then the system insists that he get a lawyer to mount a defense, even if the accused cannot afford the lawyer.

Delay may be innocent as well as "not guilty," but he at least should acknowledge how the system works.