“All the rights secured to the citizens under the Constitution are worth nothing, and a mere bubble, except guaranteed to them by an independent and virtuous Judiciary.” So said President Andrew Jackson, according to reports. Of course, President Jackson also said after another case “[Chief Justice] John Marshall has made his decision. Let him try and enforce it!”

Both quotes illustrate America’s complicated relationship with its independent judiciary. We all value a court free from political influence, until we lose. Whatever the ruling is on the Trump case involving allegations of paying off a porn star with so-called “hush” money, our attitudes on the court are likely to be dictated by what the verdict is, rather than abstract legal principles.

John A. Tures is a professor of political science at LaGrange College in Georgia. He can be reached at jtures@lagrange.edu. His Twitter account is @JohnTures2.