In addition to the "Bad Boys" song, COPS always opened its episodes with the disclaimer: "All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law."
So let's put that on the record for Kilmar Abrego Garcia [AG], aka, "Maryland Man."
AG has now been extradited to the United States, and is facing a variety of serious charges relating to the smuggling of illegal aliens.
And based on what one of his lawyers said—and didn't say—on Saturday's edition of MSNBC's The Weekend, things aren't looking too keen for Kilmar.
Interviewed by co-hosts Eugene Daniels and Jonathan Capehart, lawyer Benjamin Osorio:
- Admitted that the car Abrego Garcia was driving when he was stopped for speeding by the Tennessee Highway Patrol was owned by a felon who had been convicted of smuggling illegal aliens into the US. [There were eight people in the car at the time. Abrego Garcia claimed they were construction workers he was transporting.]
- Said: "We were never fighting for the character of this man." That echoed the statement by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who flew to El Salvador to meet with Abrego Garcia, and who said: "This is not about the man, it's his constitutional rights." Not exactly the kind of character witnesses a criminal defendant would hope for!
- Never claimed, or even hinted, that Abrego Garcia might be innocent. No brave talk along the lines, "we will vigorously fight and defeat these false charges," etc. Rather, again similar to Van Hollen, who said the case is about the migrant's constitutional rights, Osorio said his legal team is only fighting for due process for Abrego Garcia.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has described Abrego Garcia as "a full-time smuggler who made more than 100 trips, transporting women, children, and MS-13 gang-affiliated persons throughout the U.S."
Being convicted on only one of those 100 trips could land the "Maryland man" in federal prison for many years.
We can imagine that Republican ad makers are already busy at work, sketching out clips featuring Van Hollen and other Democrats sticking up for Abrego Garcia. Call it the 2028 variation on the devastating "they/them" ad on Kamala's support for taxpayer-funded transgender surgery for illegal alien inmates!
Are the liberal media and the Dems sure that Abrego Garcia is the hill they want their electoral hopes to die on?
