Johnny Depp’s stand to preserve his presumption of innocence

Eight years ago I drove from the Washington Times newsroom to the University of Virginia to investigate a story published

by Rolling Stone that said a college fraternity gang-raped a freshman named Jackie.

Upon my arrival, students told me they believed Jackie because they weren’t “rape-deniers.”

ape deniers are people who don’t give the accuser the benefit of the doubt

they explained. Soon, a handful of journalists uncovered evidence proving Rolling Stone’s reporting was wrong

and as a result, we stopped Jackie’s false story from destroying the lives of several innocent boys.

The imminent #MeToo movement devolved into an inquisition that labeled anyone recognizing the presumption of innocence as anti-victim.

Notions of due process and the right to have a trial by jury in a court of law became incidental to mob rule in the court of public opinion.

A moral panic reminiscent of the Salem Witch Trials ensued.