Politics

Plotkin: Supreme Court Justices Zahra and Viviano Run Morally Bankrupt Campaign Ads

October 27, 2014, 1:06 AM

Sanford Plotkin is a veteran criminal defense attorney in Detroit. 

By Sanford Plotkin

Justices Brian Zahra and David Viviano (Oops, I mean the Chamber of Commerce) are running a campaign ad on radio in their bid for re-election to the Michigan Supreme Court, the State's highest, saying they’re tough on sentences involving pedophiles. (Listen to the radio ad).

I had no idea the Michigan Supreme Court actually sentences defendants. Oh wait -- they don't.

Bridge Magazine gives the radio ad a "Regular Foul," which is defined this way by its Truth Squad: “A statement that distorts a candidate’s record or a fact involving policy, or which omits a fact that is essential to understanding a candidate’s position.”

As a practicing attorney of 28 years, I must say that even the Truth Squad is too easy on two cynical, deceptive and morally bankrupt Justices.  

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Sanford Plotkin

Clearly, the Supreme Court Justices try to capitalize on the fact that some of the electorate doesn’t fully understand -- or in some cases, have a clue -- as to what they actually do. 

For one, they don't impose sentences. And they don't pass legislation. 

“A justice’s role, rather, is to ensure that prosecutors followed the law in securing that conviction,” Bridge writes.

That being said, you don’t really get that impression that is what their role is when when you listen to that radio commercial and some of the similar TV ads that frequently play.

The radio ad goes like this: 

“Judges can’t stop sexual predators before they strike. But they can make sure those that get caught pay a heavy price. That’s why Supreme Court Justices Brian Zahra and David Viviano have upheld convictions for sexually abusive criminals.”

“And Viviano and Zahra have made it illegal for sexual predators to use computers to help them commit sexual abuse.”

The ad goes on to say: “Thank them for standing up to sexual predators.”

Honestly, let's give credit where credit is due: To the prosecutors and the investigators in those cases who have gone after the predators.

To say, as Bridge does, that their (er, the Chamber of Commerce’s) radio advertisement is merely a “Regular Foul," is to still dignify their legitimacy as candidates for Michigan’s highest court, without regard to the outright fear-mongering and unethical behavior displayed in their media campaign to scare people to the polls.

Zahra and Viviano have clearly demonstrated through their deceptive ads that they are unfit to sit on any court, let alone this state’s highest. 

They toss dignity and truth to the side in favor of “winning at any cost,” defiling the state’s highest court with lies and deception.  What happened to the “appearance of impropriety”?  “

My father used to say, “If you can’t tell the truth, there’s a serious problem”.  I think the Michigan Supreme Court has a serious problem, perhaps two.



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