Monday on CNN’s “Situation Room,” while reacting to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump saying today that the suspected bomber in New York and New Jersey Ahmad Khan Rahami should not be given hospitalization and legal counsel while in custody, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) said, ” We have a system of jurisprudence. You are innocent until proven guilty. You have a right to counsel. And you have a right to hospitalization if you are ill. That is our system. And it’s what makes this country special and what makes this country great.”
Partial transcript as follows:
BLITZER: Governor, just moments ago Donald Trump spoke about the capture of this suspect, Ahmad Khan Rahami. I want you to listen to what Trump just said.
(VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Today we have caught this evil thug who planted the bombs. Thank you, law enforcement. Thank you, police. Great. But the bad part. Now we will give him amazing hospitalization. He will be taken care of by some of the best doctors in the world. He will be given a fully modern and updated hospital room. And he’ll probably even have room service, knowing the way our country is. And on top of all of that, he will be represented by an outstanding lawyer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: I would love your reaction to that, governor.
CUOMO: Yeah. Welcome to America, right? We have a system of jurisprudence. You are innocent until proven guilty. You have a right to counsel. And you have a right to hospitalization if you are ill. That is our system. And it’s what makes this country special and what makes this country great. We believe we have the right man. We believe that’s who was on the video. We believe that was his fingerprint. But I was a prosecutor, I was the attorney general in this state, as you know. Sometimes the government is wrong. And that’s why we have a judicial process and we have trials and hearings, et cetera. So, I don’t know what the alternative would be. Unless you said we should have a government that, on their own belief, is judge and jury and executioner all in one.
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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