The Fall of (ex) Judge Garzon in Spain

The Left, both Spanish and Worldwide, that defends and worships Garzon, should take good note that the Spanish judge was just found guilty of abusing his power as an investigative judge, thus going against the constitutional rights of a number of those people being investigated by him. Prevaricating is a crime in Spain for Judges and Public officials.

The seven Supreme Court Judges who have found him guilty are, many of them, leftist appointees to the Bench, so it is difficult to argue a political campaign against the ex-Judge.

Worse than this is the ruling by another Supreme Court judge that, despite the irregularities by Garzon when he accepted financing for his extracurricular activities in New York some years ago during a sabbatical year from prominent Spanish banks and other business leaders, he cannot be judged as the “ crimes” have prescribed. The facts the judge considers proven are that, after Garzon returned to his position in Spain, he did not only not disassociate himself from passing judgment on the same people and corporations who had given him money, but that he kept the files for himself and proceeded to acquit them of any charges and then suspended the investigations.

It is true that Garzon gained worldwide popularity when he asked for General Pinochet´s arrest and extradition to Spain in 1998 for crimes against humanity. It is also true that he has leaded for a number of years the principle of universalisation of such crimes.

But none of these activities make his wrong doings merit acquitting him, under the Law or in the eyes of public opinion. This makes editorials like the recent one in the New York Times all the more undignified for such a prestigious paper.