Letters: SC sheriff should respect judiciary

Solicitor Dan Johnson’s column about the sentence Circuit Judge Alison Lee issued in a recent Kershaw County case was a breath of fresh air (“‘Bleeding heart’ judge? Not so fast,” Monday).

As an attorney, I do not always agree with the opinions of the courts, and I might share my disagreement about a ruling with my friends around the dinner table. But when we have a president referring to a federal district judge as a “so-called judge” and a sheriff complaining about a “bleeding-heart” judge to the media, the very foundation of our democracy and the balance of powers established in the state and federal constitutions are attacked.

We should all be concerned about the unbridled power of the executive branch in our state and country. Officials who have taken an oath to defend the Constitution have an even greater responsibility to show respect for the judiciary and the separation of powers of the three branches of government.