As anticipated, the Willacy County, Texas, indictments of Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez are not going the way things usually do.  And District Attorney Juan Angel Guerra, whose term of office is about to expire, is not happy about it.  From USA today :

A county prosecutor who brought indictments against Vice President Dick Cheney, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and others pounded his fist and shouted at the judge Friday about special treatment for high-profile defendants as a routine motions hearing descended into chaos.

Willacy County District Attorney Juan Angel Guerra, who is accusing the public officials of culpability in the alleged abuse of prisoners in a federal detention center, asked Presiding Judge Manuel Banales to recuse himself. Guerra has complained about Banales’ handling of the case.

Special treatment for Cheney and Gonzalez?  Who would have thought?  Regardless of the validity of the accusations handed up by the grand jury, which I’m informed by those far more familiar with the laws of the Republic of Texas may have greater merit than many would expect, the simple fact that they are defendants in a criminal proceeding in a Texas courts strikes me as a pretty good reason for these two, particularly since they are public officials, to show the court a little respect.

So what did Cheney and Gonzalez have to say about all this?  Who knows.  They didn’t bother to appear.  According to the story, they were required to be physically present in the courtroom to be arraigned on the indictment, but these are not the little people, like your or I, who must show respect, not to mention, adherence to the mandate of a court.  These are important people, for whom a personal appearance in Willacy County means nothing. 

I make no prediction about the merit or outcome of this prosecution.  I do, however, find this to be a glaring example of the differences between life at the top of the pecking order and life for the rest of us.  Had the defendants not been prominent, and had the defendants neglected to appear, the first words out of a judge’s mouth would have been “warrant ordered.”  Judges are not inclined to allow defendants to decide for themselves whether they feel like appearing to answer criminal charges.  Usually.

DA Guerra’s reaction is described in a way that makes him seem, well, fairly unhinged.  He may well be, given the problems he had when he was under indictment, and his comment to Judge Banales suggests that his motives may be less than pure.

“Now all of a sudden there is urgency,” Guerra shouted [at Judge Banales]. “Eighteen months you kept me indicted through the election.” The charges against Guerra were dropped last year. Guerra lost re-election in the March Democratic primary.

Then again, even people who are paranoid have enemies.  There is no doubt that the Vice President and former Attorney General are being treated differently then other defendants, given benefits, courtesies and latitude that no ordinary defendant would enjoy.  It’s good to be important, isn’t it?

For most people, the notion that some sparsely populated backwater county in Texas can haul some of nation’s most important public officials into court is a joke.  These people will agree that defendants Cheney and Gonzalez need not bow to the will of the Willacy County grand jury, or district attorney.  They are above this sort of nonsense.

For others, the idea that this is a nation of laws, not men, will change the equation.  From the mightiest to the weakest, we are all subject to the law and the mandate of the court.  Far too mean unimportant people know what it means to be indicted, and now they will know that it means something entirely different when it happens to the high and mighty.

This is the lesson being taught in a courtroom in Willacy County by Vice President Dick Cheney, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez and Willacy County Judge Manuel Banales.  Some pigs are definitely more equal than others.