A Defender of Assange Says She’s Fighting for All

Ms. Taylor's intellectual weakness is really startling and it provides continuing evidence that regardless of age, most people manage to rise to the level of their own incompetence. As a lawyer who's convinced of her client's innocence, why is she purposefully trying to avoid defending that client in an actual court of law? Given the nature of Mr. Assange's offenses against the United States, and accusations of sexual assault in another country, he will not escape being put on trial at some point in the future. It may take a dozen more years, but the memory of the US intelligence services is quite long and his actions while serving as an agent of the Russian FSB will not soon be forgotten.

She's a lawyer. If she chooses to be a defence lawyer, that is her job. Why this article mixes Assange and the role and duties of a defence lawyer is beyond puzzling. And if the "court of public opinion" is the problem affecting Assanage, then get him to a courtroom and settle matters. But isn't it the case that the US government has not, in fact, charged him with anything so why is he still hiding out? My guess is that he's milking the court of public opinion.

I must I must point out that she is fighting only for a liar (defined in this case as one who presents half truths and cherry picked facts as the whole story). She is fighting against me and others who cherish facts, understanding, and democratic principles.

A fascinating, brave article about what being a lawyer comes to.

I am thankful for people like Julian Assange, and Edward Snowden. I don't buy into the rhetoric of the US intelligence establishment. They have lied to us too many times--about the WMD's in Iraq and about whether they are collecting private communications between Americans. They have exaggerated harm from disclosure of information by these people. They use secrecy and deceit to conceal their own corrupt behavior, duping many Americans into believing that those who disclose the truth are the real threats to our society. I am also thankful to lawyers like Ms. Taylor who stand up to world governments and corruptly molded public opinion.

Yup. I'm sure she's VERY concerned...all the way to the bank.

My loyalties are split here. In my day job I have sworn an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States, which presumably includes the prosecution of rapists, but on the other hand, Mr. Assange appears to have identified various factions who would subvert our freedoms in favor of the rich and powerful.

Well everyone has a right to a lawyer, and every lawyer should fight to protect the interests of their clients. That being said, the elephant in the room should be looked at closer (more so than the few paragraphs given here, some with points that ring rather untrue), that this person and organization has possibly been acting in collusion with rather anti-democratic espionage programs,, from a country that at best is described as a flawed democracy, in the midst of committing violent aggression against a sizable European state. Lets not kid ourselves.

Both the man and what he does are loathsome. It is a wonder that any attorney wishes to be his counsel. It may be his right to have counsel, but the mere presence of Assange would lessen anyone's soul.

I have a strange feeling that John Reed as in "Ten Days that Shook the World" and Oscar Wilde (British) is the same person. Camden Rd in N London is where the original journalists started out, late 19th century. Assange is the part of he same gang. Wilde's house in San Francisco is now for sale at 411 Wilde, but basically needs to be rebuilt. I came to this by examining the photos and walking around.

I don't disagree that Mr. Assange should have a proper defense. Every accused rapist should have one. On the other hand, he is certainly not somebody who has been condemned by the court of public opinion. On the contrary, he was always given the benefit of the doubt. His every claim was accepted as gospel. He was all about transparency and government accountability. We all bought into his assertion that he would make his company be a force for good. Those were lies of course. He used his company for self aggrandizement. He used it to attack and undermine the American presidential candidate whom he personally disliked, as an agent of the Kremlin.

I agree that all those accused of crimes deserve good representation. However, I don't think that's what Melinda Taylor is suggesting. She seems to be saying that Julian Assange should be pardoned of any potential crimes before he's been charged so that he can walk out of his self-imposed exile. Mr. Assange counseled Donald Trump Jr. in emails that his father should not accept the results of the U.S. election if he lost. In other words, he pushed for civil unrest in this country. He has some pretty deep motives, but I don't think transparency is one of them.

In the opinion of the self-absorbed careerists of the Times, a cross-section of the top 10% and their apologists, no doubt Assange stands condemned. I’m sure if Ellsberg came to them today with The Pentagon Papers they’d turn him right over. But to the vast majority of people in this country, and around the globe, he stands as a hero who, at great personal cost, helped exposed the crimes governments around the world daily perpetrate on their citizens, recording their every communication and covering up the criminal deeds of their imperialist wars across the planet.

To the extent that Ms. Taylor adovcates in a legal proceeding to ensure the legal rights of her clients, then she is to be respected and praised for providing a public good. That's true of all defense lawyers. But when she argues in the public square in support of Julian Assange and other enemies of the United States, then she loses me.

A definite triumph of the human spirit. What a mensch. I could just go on and on about Ms. Taylor, finding ways to fill the daylight hours of her day, unlike the rest of us.

We used to have the 4th Amendment protecting us, from the Government it is mostly gone. We know this mostly because of Julian Assange, Ed Snowden, and Chelsea Manning. Maybe someday the Congress will reel in the alphabet soup of agencies that regularly spy on us. Obama should have pardoned both Snowden and Assange. To quote Franklin "He who gives up a little freedom for safety will soon have neither," well something like that.

The verdict of the court of public opinion is irrelevant, the British courts will ignore it. He successfully hid from the sexual assault charges in Sweden, that just makes it all the more important that he not be allowed to escape charges for skipping bail.

Whether he committed the abuse crimes he's accused of, and especially if he is, Julian Assange should be put out of circulation forever. I was a strong supporter of his work to out the US government on its shady and illegal excesses. (I guess anything illegal is by definition an excess.) But his tampering with the US election against Hillary Clinton for his own personal revenge put me off him completely. To distort a democratic election, or at least as democratic as elections get in the US, was heinous. He should be destroyed.

Is there a compelling news story here? A lawyer employed as a defense counsel by the International Criminal Court does the job she's paid to do. That's newsworthy? No other ICC attorneys are worth noting -- not even the others who represent Assange -- as principled heroes doing their jobs? "Defending the rights of individuals condemned by the court of public opinion...?" Is the "court of public opinion" a governmental agency, a UN subsidiary? Is it at The Hague? Or in the realm of specious lawyers best known as ambulance chasing? As to Ms. Taylor legal brilliance, does she really believe Assange, a documented self-identified serial megalomaniac with a mean streak of misogyny compounded with narcissism, wasn't "...seeking to put someone in power" when Assange himself brayed about how he would bring Hillary Clinton down, a statement he repeated on Russia Today, which offered him his own show? Ms. Taylor asks "How can you hold your politicians to account unless you know their views?" By defending a willing tool in a massive Russian/Republican disinformation campaign that successfully installed a proto-tyrant who is unaccountable, fires lies faster than an AR-15 spews death, and who respects judicial process as much as he would Ms. Taylor in a locker room? That she sees similarity between the #MeToo campaign and Assange is oddly reassuring that irony prevails and the self-serving Assange has the quality of lawyer he deserves. A poseur like himself.

Condemned in the court of public opinion, rightfully so. Don't feel sorry for him, not one bit.

Everyone, of course, needs a defense regardless of how heinous the crimes and allegations. Running and hiding, as Assange and Snowden have done, only shows that their disrespect for law in favor of self-righteous change. Rather than work from within the system to change it, they, unilaterally and without regard of consequences, decided what, from there perspective, was best. Narcissistic, naive and lazy. They should stand trial for their lawlessness and unwillingness to do the hard work of change from within. Of course, they'd have to come into the light to do so.

Mr. Assange certainly deserves his day in court. But so do the citizens of the United States, who may have been irreparably harmed by him. His embassy baby sitters should throw him out and allow him to face his accusers.

Ok. Bring him here and let's see what happens. Go for it!

Assange is Putin's toy boy and he acts like he is for freedom and free information. He is all for whatever hurts America.

The notion that Assange, an agent of the Russian intelligence services, is a pot, battered underdog is a figment of his lawyer's imagination. The she is succeeding in gulling reporters from the Times is a tribute to her talent and an indictment of the paper.

This lawyer is deluded. This man is a traitor to human decency. What happened in her past to wire her brain in such a direction? Julian Assange is a manipulative and selfish creature. With all the people in the world who are desperate for help, this is who she chooses? They belong together with their pal Putin.

"Ms. Taylor, now 42, has earned a reputation for defending the rights of individuals condemned by the court of public opinion ... Her clients have included Mr. Assange." Has Mr. Assange really been condemned by the court of public opinion? Many still support him. As I am writing this, based on the upvotes of the pro- and anti-Assange comments, it's only 19 to 13 against Mr. Assange. And that's in the NYT, whose readers are more likely to be contra Assange (because he's associated with the leaking of anti-Clinton documents in the 2016 election). So I think the NYT reporter is making an assumption here, and confusing its own viewpoint with that of the public at large.

Ah, now the end game for her becomes apparent, and her PR machine is cranking up so that soon she will be absolutely everywhere, and thus much more valuable to herself via her newly visible fame. Imagine, her team was able to craft a carefully produced image and have it placed prominently in the New York Times. They are very good at their jobs. She is a perfect exemplar of Bierce's definition of a lawyer.

Give me a break. The rest of us defend ourselves in court. Let this weasel do the same and then you can give him the best defense money can buy. While he chose self-imposed exile he is on his own.

Julian Assange is an agent of a hostile foreign power: Russia. He conspired with Russia to taint our 2016 Presidential Election. That is all I need to know. We, as Americans, have the right to a free and fair election without outside interference. It is our duty to protect, preserve and defend that right against all people and nations who conspire to do harm to our nation and our citizens. As a citizen of The United States, I want to see Julian Assange arrested and put in the Super Max in Colorado for the rest of his miserable life. As far as I'm concerned, he is a condemned man who deserves this fate.

If Assad ever gets captured and goes before the Hague Melinda Taylor can "defend" him too. Payment for her services for both clients can be done in Russian Rubles, which should make the accounting easier.

another cover girl looking for publicity I bet she does not go to Guantanamo or one of those horrible jails in Egypt. Apparently there are too many lawyers without a job these days

At one time I thought Assange a heroic figure, now not so much. He sells himself and his "secrets" to the highest bidder. He is no hero of the truth just an opportunist and carpetbagger.

"Essential to maintaining rights for everyone." A noble and worthy cause. However, such causes have consequences. One of the consequences of Mr. Assange's work may be a Russian victory over the United States in the new Cold War. I suggest that Ms. Taylor should spend two years living in Russia, and then think very carefully about whether she really wants to live in a Russian-dominated world.

Assange will die early or in jail. Either way, sure, I don't begrudge him competent representation.

her client is in the middle of the Russian attack on the US Presidential election. See http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-16/hillary-clinton-says-julian-assang... like Ms. Taylor's profession of devotion to due process, let's have a fair trial for Assange in the US and see what comes to light -- she can represent him pro hac vice.

This sounds terribly noble, but you should really call her what she is: the analog of an ambulance chaser for high profile international lawsuits. She is not noble and her clients are hardly noble. It is her right and indeed Assange's right regardless of his obvious guilt to get competent representation - but don't make it sound like she is some holy person.

Every human being should be afforded a defense when accused of a crime. That said; some accused are innocent, some guilty. I would like to remind everyone that Mr. Assuage is not looking to be defended for the crimes he is accused of here in the U.S.. He is, by choice, hiding in an embassy. If Ms. Taylor truly believes in justice, she would work to bring Mr. Assuage to the US and face his accusers; and she would work as his defense attorney in an actual trial. That Ms. Taylor, is where your 'defense' of Mr. Assuage falters. Let him stand trial for the crimes he is accused of here in the US. If innocent, he is a free man and can leave his self-imposed embassy prison. If guilty, he will spend time in one of our federal prisons. To anything else as a defense attorney, simply falls under the category of P.R. for your client.

Knowingly or unknowingly she defends a corrupt and odious tool of Putin.

Thank you, but you need not fight for me by protecting someone that clearly has an agenda beyond exposing state secrets and letting the chips fall where they may. As a lawyer, I suggest that you stop kidding yourself about your purposes as well. Go help people that have truly been harmed but cannot afford representation if you want to make a difference, because, unlike impoverished people, if you don't help this manipulator, someone else will.

There aren't too many heroes & heroines around these days. Thank god for Melinda Taylor, Julian Assange and Edward Snowden. They've all been abandoned by the left.