Judge Sets Trial for Libby in CIA Leak (January 2007)

[sabra]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,,-5591548,00.html

Judge Sets Trial for Libby in CIA Leak

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal judge on Friday set former White House aide I. Lewis ``Scooter'' Libby's trial date for January 2007, two months after the midterm congressional elections.

Libby, who faces perjury and obstruction of justice charges, will go on trial Jan. 8, said U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton. Walton said he had hoped to start the trial in September but one of Libby's lawyers had a scheduling conflict that made an earlier date impossible.

...

The first part of Friday's hearing was to be public, with a second segment to be held behind closed doors.

In the secret session, Walton was to begin setting deadlines for evaluating what currently classified evidence Libby will be allowed to present to a jury in open court.

[William769]

1. How convenient.

[SpiralHawk]

13. Swift Justice (for neoCON interests)...

Take this to the Supreme Court ! (where Libby can be found: pure as the driven snow).



AAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH !

[freefall]

21. Exactly what I was going to say. n/t

[wordpix2]

26. exactly, right after '06 elections-WTF is taking so long?

[Arkansas Granny]

34. Exactly! Even CNN takes note of this on their website:

"Adding an even heavier political cast to the case, Libby's trial will not take place until after the congressional midterm elections."

Are we supposed to believe that this date is just a coincidence?

[WinkyDink]

2. TWO THOUSAND SEVEN???????????

OMG. That is beyond outrageous.

[UrbScotty]

3. "Scheduling conflict" - yeah, it's called a CAMPAIGN (nt)

[xultar]

4. Well I don't konw. This could be a good thing. It will be news till then

and then step into high gear just before campaigning of late 2k7 for 2k8.

[VirginiaDem]

7. Could be.

Also, if we get lucky and take control of one or both houses of Congress, then we'll have hearings coinciding with the trial, which might beef up support for censure, impeachment, whatever. From the other recent news via Fitzgerald, it kind of seems like maybe Libby isn't going to fall on the sword. He may take the given-an-order/Few Good Men defense, in which case popcorn sales are going to skyrocket around here.

[zanne]

8. How can it be "news" until then...

If it isn't "news" now?

[VirginiaDem]

9. We're never going to get the coverage we want but

I'd bet that the trial itself will get more coverage than what is happening now. It's all relative, in both good and bad ways.

[DeepModem Mom]

5. Is this delay typical for trials? Or is it deliberately scheduled...

for after the midterms?

[stop the bleeding]

11. How long did it take for Enron to goto trial, I can not think of any good

examples, but I feel that 11 months is not a long time in court proceedings especially the bigger the case. But who knows at this point living in Alice's Wonderland Twilight Zone for 6 years nothing would surprise me by now.

[DeepModem Mom]

14. You're probably right -- thanks, stop! nt

[stop the bleeding]

15. I hope so, I would hate to see this as another part of *'s "strategery"

but you can never tell with these pr*ks

[janx]

6. "one of Libby's lawyers had a scheduling conflict"

One of Libby's lawyers will be busy for a YEAR?

[Geoff R. Casavant]

10. Not quite.

Don't forget the Court has a pretty full docket as well. This is Federal Court, so there are reams of civil and criminal cases besides Libby. Some of those cases, I'd wager, have been waiting for trial themselves for the better part of two years. Add in the time spent on motions and discover disputes for all the cases that aren't currently set for trial, and you can see that setting aside a large enough period of time to handle a trial is a chore.

[stop the bleeding]

12. agreed - 2 years is not a long time for Federal Court n/t

[wordpix2]

27. isn't there something in our laws about right to "fair and speedy trial?"

[stop the bleeding]

29. yes but this is the Federal Courts your talking about - add that with

the fact that it is a high profile case and the lawyers variables/legal wrangling - I am surprised it happened this quick.

[jasmeel]

16. Trial date for Libby in CIA Leak is in 2007-how convienient!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060203/ap_on_go_ot/cia_leak

Judge Sets Trial for Libby in CIA Leak
WASHINGTON - A federal judge on Friday set former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's trial date in the
CIA leak case for January 2007, two months after the midterm congressional elections.


The trial for Libby, who faces perjury and obstruction of justice charges, will begin with jury selection Jan. 8, said U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton. The judge said he had hoped to start the trial in September but one of Libby's lawyers had a scheduling conflict that made that impractical.

Walton said he does not like "to have a case linger" but had no choice because Libby attorney Ted Wells will be tied up for 10 weeks on another case.

Libby, formerly chief of staff to Vice President
Dick Cheney, was indicted late last year on charges that he lied to
FBI agents and a federal grand jury about how he learned CIA operative
Valerie Plame's identity and when he subsequently told reporters.

[ixion]

17. obvious pandering, IMO

and shouldn't be tolerated.

[GR]

18. As Long As They Have Control Of Congress We Can't Stop Them

But there is still a chance for another stinging indictment of a major Adminstration figure BEFORE THE ELECTION...Karl Rove...That will have a negative effect...

We simply must take control of one or both houses of Congress to start returning the country to the democratic republic it once was..

[cantstandbush]

19. I tell you that none of these neocon criminals will ever serve time.

The Congress, the Courts, and our Presidency are controlled by them. It will take a real revolution to get our country on a decent course.

[stop the bleeding]

20. see post # 10 - 11 months to 2 years is not a long time to goto trial

in the Federal courts.

also see more info on this thread - I went into grater detail on post# 23

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=312633&mesg_id=313265

[leveymg]

22. Here's Walton's Bio: look at who appointed him and when

Known for slow-boat political cases, but appears to be on-track for higher office:

This from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggie_Walton

Reggie B. Walton is a United States District Judge for the District of Columbia. Walton served as an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia from 1981 to 1989 and 1991 to 2001.

Walton is the judge presiding over the criminal case of the vice president's former chief of staff, Scooter Libby, he has dismissed one of FBI whistle-blower Sibel Edmonds' lawsuits, after "sitting on the case with no activity for almost two years," <1> and is "randomly" presiding over her other suit as well.

For some strange reason his Financial Disclosure Report for 2003 is completely redacted. <2>
-----------------------------------

HERE'S HIS OFFICIAL BIO, NOTE WHO HAS PROMOTED HIM: http://www.dcd.uscourts.gov/walton-bio.html

Judge Reggie B. Walton assumed his position as a United States District Judge for the District of Columbia on October 29, 2001, after being nominated to the position by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the United States Senate. Judge Walton was also appointed by President Bush in June of 2004 to serve as the Chairperson of the National Prison Rape Reduction Commission, a two-year commission created by the United States Congress that is tasked with the mission of identifying methods to curb the incidents of prison rape. Former Chief Justice Rehnquist appointed Judge Walton to the federal judiciary's Criminal Law Committee, effective October 1, 2005. Judge Walton previously served as an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia from 1981 to 1989 and 1991 to 2001, having been appointed to that position by Presidents Ronald Reagan in 1981 and George H. W. Bush in 1991. While serving on the Superior Court, Judge Walton was the court's Presiding Judge of the Family Division, Presiding Judge of the Domestic Violence Unit and Deputy Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division. Between 1989 and 1991, Judge Walton served as President George H. W. Bush's Associate Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy in the Executive Office of the President and as President Bush's Senior White House Advisor for Crime.

Before his appointment to the Superior Court bench in 1981, Judge Walton served as the Executive Assistant United States Attorney in the Office of the United States Attorney in Washington, D.C., from June, 1980 to July, 1981, and he was an Assistant United States Attorney in that Office from March, 1976 to June, 1980.

:eyes:

[stop the bleeding]

23. see posts # 25 and 26 here on another thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=312633&mesg_id=313507

[leveymg]

24. I'm sure that Reggie is there to try and contain the damage.

I also have great faith in Fitz's ability and integrity, but this whole thing is moving at an alarmingly slow pace, and on an uber level, that may just allow the perpetrators and their unindicted co-conspirators to get away with it on a political level.

I don't know - jury's out as to whether justice is actually going to be served. One can only proceed on an assumption that it will.

[stop the bleeding]

25. Yep we can only do what we can, and hope that Fitz runs an open

and shut case. Language in the indictment plus the revelations from the email debacle in the WH seems to be looking pretty good for us, but who knows time will tell.

[wordpix2]

28. I call foul, conflict-of-interest and Reg Walton should recuse himself!

WTF?

[stop the bleeding]

30. WTF is right and I wish he would, but doubt he will at this point - must

pray for Fitz - his obstruction case is pretty open and shut as indicated by the language in the Libby indictment add that with a DC jury and SEE YA! Scooter Fibby.

[sadiesworld]

37. He'll be pardoned long before a jury is empaneled.

Maybe people should stop putting so much stock in Fitzgerald, he has been dragging his feet for some time now.

[stop the bleeding]

39. Grand Jury already has been meeting on a regular basis

sounds like the GJ has been empaneled/impaneled foe a while now.:shrug:
Have you been following the case?

[sadiesworld]

40. I'm talking about a jury in the criminal case.

[stop the bleeding]

41. Yes there is a Grand Jury impaneled right now in DC for Libby's

Obstruction case and that is a criminal charge/case - what were you talking about - cause you have kind of have lost me now.

[sadiesworld]

43. The grand jury is used to determine

whether there is sufficient evidence to issue indictments, a different jury (the trial jury) will be chosen at the start of Libby's criminal trial to hear the evidence in that particular case.

I'm simply saying that I would be surprised if this trial ever comes to pass--I think * will pardon Libby first. * isn't running for office again (whether he TAKES a third term is certainly open for debate) and once the republicans are past the '06 primaries, what's to be gained by letting a trial proceed?

I've grown pretty cynical where Fitzgerald is concerned. The continued delays, the paucity of indictments, and now the timing of the trial date?! I hope I'm wrong.

[stop the bleeding]

44. You are Absolutely right - maybe this will give you hope about Fitz

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2085386

and this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=321233&mesg_id=321233

[sadiesworld]

47. Strange timing on that particular bit of news.

It felt like a bone being thrown to dem activists who were (understandably) upset about the trial date.

Too tinfoilish? Too cynical? Perhaps.

I certainly hope you have the "I told you so" bragging rights, I don't want them.

Have a nice weekend. :hi:

[HuffleClaw]

31. he was a white house advisor?

and now he's overseeing a white house official's case? ok, a different administration, but the same family.

[wordpix2]

32. Bush I advisor and Jr* promoted to district judge--perfect for crime famil

family court decision

[wordpix2]

33. K&R!!

[AtomicKitten]

35. But the defense attorney assures us Libby is totally innocent!

http://www.counterpunch.org/petras12242005.html

[Lance_Boyle]

36. Walton hoped to start the trial in September...

So why didn't he? Libby's lawyer may well have a scheduling conflict, but his effin' JOB is to represent his effin' client at the effin' trial whenever the effin' judge says that is. Walton should have said "too bad about your conflict - if you wish to represent THIS client at THIS trial, you will be here in September." I wonder how many pimps and drug dealers are able to get their trials postponed because of their lawyers' scheduling conflicts?

[annofark]

38. Pardoned?

If he is found guilty wouldn't that be NUTS if the President Pardons him??

[H2O Man]

42. It's not a bad thing.

Trials in federal court do not always move as swiftly as those in city court. The truth is that both sides agreed to a delay, for different reasons, and the judge's ruling is exactly what would be expected.

It might be worth remembering that other things will be moving forward on the larger investigation between now and the fall elections. For example, there will be a decision made on Mr. Rove: he will be indicted if he does not accept the plea offer that has been made. There are two other people from the White House who are being closely examined by Mr. Fitzgerald. Between them and Mr. Rove, it is likely that more information that focuses attention on the mysterious Richard Cheney will become public in the late spring/early summer months. (Or, it wouldn't surprise me to see RawStory breaking some of the stories even earlier.)

Libby's trial would be wonderful if it occured before the '06 elections, because the media would be covering the information already covered last fall. But the public information provided at Libby's trial isn't going to hold great surprises. Anyone who reads DU already knows most of it. And much of the information the jury might hear will be kept from the public. (Do not be surprised if Scooter makes a deal between now and the end of the year. His attorneys are looking out for his best interests, not Cheney's.)

[phoebe]

45. important DU link here re: who's raising money for Libby's defense

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2084882

[sattahipdeep]

46. Not a conflict?

The fund's steering committee includes a few Democrats and
several Republicans. Former Ambassador Mel Sembler is its chairman.

The other members include two former Republican presidential
candidates, Jack Kemp and Steve Forbes; three former
Republican senators, Fred Thompson of Tennessee, Spencer
Abraham of Michigan and Alan K. Simpson of Wyoming; and
former CIA Director James Woolsey.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5592291,00.html