Constitutional law expert Alan Dershowitz told Newsmax Tuesday a lawsuit filed by the mayor of Newark, New Jersey, over his arrest at an ICE detention facility is "frivolous."
Dershowitz told "Newsline" on Tuesday that Newark Mayor Ras Baraka's lawsuit won't get very far — at least in the court system. "No; it's a frivolous lawsuit designed to make political points."
He said the timing of the situation makes it look more like a politically coordinated act, since the mayor is involved in an election. "He's the villain here. He engaged in what appears to be illegal conduct, he and others. And they have to pay the consequences for it."
Dershowitz said it's not the first time he has seen this course of action used by a political figure. "Some of the people that he's suing probably have immunity from some of the acts he's suing them for, but this is not a lawsuit designed to win," said Dershowitz.
Among those named as defendants in the case is Alina Habba, the acting U.S. attorney in New Jersey who brought the case and is a former personal lawyer to President Donald Trump. Habba posted in response to reports of the suit being filed that Baraka should "join me in prioritizing violent crime and public safety."
Dershowitz said Baraka has little chance of winning legal relief. "It's a lawsuit designed to attract attention and to deflect attention from the wrongness of what he did."
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Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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