Americans have the right to a legal defense when they are charged with a crime. The defendant may engage a lawyer of his choice, or accept a lawyer provided by the jurisdiction if the accused is unable to afford one. This right is so fundamental, it is shocking that Harvard University would question Professor Ronald Sullivan’s willingness to represent Harvey Weinstein in a rape case brought against him.
Few challenged Sullivan’s right to head the Brooklyn Criminal Justice institute where his skills freed numerous defendants accused of heinous crimes. It seems that the attitude was different because Weinstein, a film producer, is accused of a sex crime. Under American jurisprudence, Weinstein is innocent until he is convicted in a court of law.
In addition to being a faculty member of the Harvard Law School, Sullivan also serves as the faculty dean of Winthrop House, a residence for undergraduate students. How bizarre that Sullivan’s right to represent a client in a #MeToo sexual assault should be challenged when there was not a word of protest against his many murder cases.
