Story highlights Page Pate: Tapping Robert Mueller as special counsel in "the Russia thing" is a canny move

Pick is bad news for anyone guilty of a crime, but hopeful sign for rest of America, he says

Page Pate, a CNN legal analyst, is a criminal defense and constitutional lawyer based in Atlanta. He is an adjunct professor of law at the University of Georgia, a founding member of the Georgia Innocence Project, a former board member of the Federal Defender Program in Atlanta, and the former chairman of the criminal law section of the Atlanta Bar Association. Follow him on Twitter @pagepate. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.

(CNN) After what must have been a lot of hand-wringing and soul-searching, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein chose Robert Mueller as "special counsel" to oversee the investigation into Russia's meddling in the last election, and any unlawful collusion that may have occurred between the Russians and Donald Trump's campaign during that time.

Page Pate

Mueller is, of course, the right man for the job. He's smart and experienced, and he's not going to be bullied or influenced by the President or the White House.

Considering Rosenstein's reputation for fairness and integrity, it's not a surprise he decided to appoint a special counsel. What is surprising and very impressive is who he appointed and the way he did it.

He didn't ask the White House for approval; he just pulled the trigger and told the administration it had to deal with it. He gave the White House no time to try to convince him not to do it, and no chance to fire him before he did. Well played, sir.

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As special counsel, Mueller has jurisdiction that is, at least on paper, very broad. He has the authority to investigate "any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump" as well as "any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation."

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