Statement of Dana Siegelman:

[trof]

Our family grows more and more outraged with each revelation showing that – for 8 years - my father has been targeted for political reasons -. America should never lose sight of the tragic fact that while the world is just now discovering the corrupt tactics used by the Justice Department in their pursuit of Don Siegelman, our Dad is in a Federal Prison where he has been for eight months. He has not been allowed to be free while he appeals his case and he remains unable to appeal his conviction because there is no trial transcript – even though his trial ended over 600 days ago.

The new revelations by "60 minutes" sit on top of the mountain of evidence already in existence that shows the Justice Department illegally targeted my father. Testimony before the House Judiciary Committee showed that the prosecutors in Alabama were not going to prosecute my father but were told by the Justice Department to do whatever it took to bring Dad down. Adam Zagorin at TIME Magazine reported that during the investigation, prosecutors discovered - and ignored - evidence against a Republican US Senator and Alabama's Republican Attorney General. Most egregious in this episode is the fact that the Justice Department officials and investigators involved in that investigation continued to pursue Dad in the face of their blatant conflicts of interest that should have removed them from the case. In the Siegelman case and in other Alabama cases, affidavits and information has come to light showing that investigators threatened, intimidated, and coached witnesses to incriminate Don Siegelman. The revelations in the "60 Minutes" report cries out for an independent investigation of this case and the immediate release of my Dad.

My family's question to the Congress is "how much evidence will be enough?". The US Attorney apparatus in Alabama is corrupted and only an outside, independent investigation will right this grievous wrong.

Had the US Attorneys in this case followed the rule of law and the code of conduct for US Attorneys, there is no reason to believe that my Father would have ever ended up in a federal courtroom – much less in a prison cell. The question that needs to be answered is did the prosecutors and the Department of Justice violate the law in pursuit of my Dad, and if so why is my father still in prison?

Our family implores the Congress to initiate an independent investigation to once and for all expose the crimes of the Justice Department personnel in Alabama and Washington who had a hand in this grave injustice.

~Dana Siegelman
geoNews
http://www.wkrg.com/news/article/dana_siegelman_statement/10688/

[Usrename]

1. There will not be justice until the criminals are out of office.

Justice delayed is justice denied.

IMPEACH!!!

[lonestarnot]

2. Where's the damn court reporter?

Where's the damn video? What the hell! Court Reporter can be jailed for failure to produce the transcript and if it's a video, well how long does it take to burn a few discs? Congress you fuckers get off your ass! We're no better than China!

[KharmaTrain]

5. If The Judge Puts Things Under Seal...Say Good bye...

Considering how corrupt this entire Siegelman case is, be assured those transcripts (or lack thereof) are under lock and key.

What burns me is that the Justice Department is so politicized and booooshie has put enough of his toadies in place there won't be proper justice done here. Releasing Siegleman isn't good enough...a new trial to clear his name isn't either. Those who used the Justice system as their own tool are the ones who should be in that prison cell and on trial.

Kudos to those who have worked hard to keep this story alive and here's hoping my pessimism is proven wrong.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

24. There's no basis for a seal.

Besides, the appeals court would not be subject to a seal.

No transcript -> automatic reversal, perhaps even a dismissal.

[trof]

6. Court reporter died before transcript finished.

And - gee whiz - there just doesn't seem to be ANYTHING anyone can do about it.
:sarcasm: : OFF

[petersjo02]

22. Court reporter died

soon after the trial. I don't know the circumstances, whether suspicious death or not.

[puebloknot]

34. Are you serious? Did the court reporter die?

I work in that field. If a reporter dies, other people can read her stenographic record, and these days, there is very likely an audio record as backup, and possibly a video record, as well.

Of course, if there's "mischief" afoot in this case, the court reporter's equipment could have suffered a fatal illness, too!

[trof]

40. Yep. After trial, before completed transcript. Obit at link:

:tinfoilhat: time?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2929063

[puebloknot]

41. More detail on transcript production.

Cross-posting this. I posted it also at the link you've furnished:

puebloknot (1000+ posts) Wed Feb-27-08 02:16 PM
Response to Reply #3
8. I work in the court reporting arena, training people to do computerized-editing...
Edited on Wed Feb-27-08 02:20 PM by puebloknot
Edited for typo in header!


...of court transcripts. Unless someone has destroyed evidence, there is a stenographic record, and likely an audio record, of what took place.

Steno notes are run through software and translated to English, but the translation is far from perfect, and requires that either the court reporter, or an editor, go over the transcript and clean it up. I and many others can read the stenographic record. I have personally created transcripts from the steno notes of deceased reporters.

Sometimes, there is also a video record of a proceeding.

We *always* get the *official version" of any transcript. Between the steno recording, and the editing that follows, there's ample opportunity to "tweak" a transcript. Fortunately, the process is usually an honest one, although flawed in that court reporters do *not* get down every word when recording a hearing, and they rely on their steno notes along with audio/video to produce the transcript. Right there, there's room for "mischief."

If there is malice aforethought, a judge can make it impossible for anyone to get to the "work product" of the court reporter, and can declare the official version sacrosanct.

I'm waiting with bated breath to see if there will be a challenge to the official story, and a demand for the court reporter's auxiliary record, in the form of steno notes and video or audio recordings. Many attorneys are not aware that an audio recording is quietly being made as backup to the reporter's steno record. In cases where there's been a demand for the audio record, the court reporter has claimed it is not the official record, is only a tool for creating the final transcript, and has gotten by with refusal to give up the audio record.

The court reporting community stands behind the concept of not being required to release audio records, in large part out of fear of seeing the stenographic recording method threatened-- and therefore, their jobs. There is reasonable concern for keeping the human being involved in the process, rather than merely turning on a tape recorder because there have been instances of total failure of the recording devices. But I've always said that justice comes first, and the court reporter's interest second!

[acmavm]

3. Where's the Congress she asks? Why investigating steroids

dammit. The REAL danger to this nation, steroids in sports.

[lonestarnot]

7. A goddamn fucking outrage!

[Junkdrawer]

14. "steroids in sports" gets you air time...Siegelman's story gets a blackout...

Playing for the cameras...

[lisainmilo]

33. Cameras playing for American public at large!

They want this case to be blacked out. They want the American public at large ignorant of what has really happened. Makes me sick how they have used and abused our country. They want to keep their game going so this case has been kept on the back-burner.

[Junkdrawer]

4. When anyone asks "How bad can it get?" Answer "Alabama"..n/t

[lonestarnot]

8. Good fucking answer!

[trof]

9. Yes. I am ashamed of my state. AND pissed!

[fasttense]

10. That's the same excuse the justice department used against

border patrol agents, Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, when they tried to appeal and when congress tried to investigate. Seems the justice department has the slowest transcribers in the history of this country. How convenient for Rove and company.

The whole Siegelman prosecution sounds like a Soviet style political jailing. Criminals coached on their testimony in order to obtain lighter sentences. Non stop indictments until the government finally finds something that sticks. Every day the US becomes more and more like the USSR.

These guys need to be prosecuted even after the bushes slither off.

[lonestarnot]

11. USSR?

China China China.

[eridani]

27. Do you have a link on this? n/t

[EFerrari]

12. Go digg Dana's statement at the link if you can.

http://www.wkrg.com/news/article/dana_siegelman_statement/10688/

[bmbmd]

17. Read the comments. What is this about?

"I feel for Siegelman’s daughter and especially his wife but it all truths be known, he was not the saint they think he is. we all know that being in the public eye is like living in a glass house. well just ask where and what don was doing at the exact time his wife was involved in that horrible accident. or better yet check the Auburn, al area for more information " Bethanne

[EFerrari]

18. I have no idea. And it sounds like a smear.

The point isn't whether Don is a saint or not. The point is our justice system has been hijacked by real criminals.

[LizW]

29. It is a smear.

Mrs. Siegelman was in a car accident -- hit by a drunk driver, if I recall correctly. She was terribly injured and still bears facial scars.

Don's opponents have tried various incarnations of the smear over time. I won't repeat them here, but they tried to claim the accident was his fault.

[Cherchez la Femme]

23. You may want to Digg this too:

Parts of "60 Minutes" Broadcast Blocked in Alabama

Has 235 Diggs so far! :)


edit: VERY active, up to 279 Diggs in just a couple minutes!

[EFerrari]

30. Excellent. Will do and welcome to DU.

:)

[Cherchez la Femme]

38. Thank you very much

:hi:
A pleasure to meet you. :)


Um, if you have a moment and would know -- how many posts must one make in order to be able to 'Recommend' many of these fine threads?
I keep on trying... but nothing yet. But I don't like to spam for no reason just to get a count high enough
...so what to do? :/

[Spurt]

13. K&R

[Quantess]

28. K & R

[Danascot]

15. The DOJ under Mucus-y

doesn't see any reason to revisit or reopen this case.

Thanks a whole bunch to the dickless Dems like my NYS Senator Schumer who insisted Mucus-y, despite being a Republic, is a man of integrity who would do the right thing. So far I haven't seen much to justfy his confidence.

[L. Coyote]

16. K & R & Impeach two too

[Olney Blue]

19. Dana sounds like a fantastic daughter. This Rove-orchestrated

nightmare MUST END

[originalpckelly]

20. No fucking transcript? Can anyone say Star Chamber?

:shrug:

Secret courts are not the American way, this is really very over the line. It's not only in the endzone, it's up in the nose bleed section of the stands!

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

21. When we confront the FACT we are living under a tyranny, perhaps the "evidence" will,...

,...suddenly be acknowledged.

I'm so sorry, Dana, your family is being oppressed in such a way.

[NashVegas]

25. Wouldn't It Be Rich

If it turned out to be hijinx in Alabama, of all places, that brings Rove down for once and for all?

[eppur_se_muova]

26. Thank you, trof, for posting this!

I grew up in AL and still have family there. I never thought our governor would wind up being victimized like this -- AL guvs have a long history of making trouble, not suffering it!

[sce56]

31. Of course we can always ask Nancy to look into this just like we got her the Speaker position to oh

never mind!

[hisownpetard]

32. Why was Rove allowed to get away with refusing to appear? Why can't he be issued a subpoena,

held in contempt of court, etc.
A man is in prison and, from what I've read, it seems like the Repubs just decided to ruin his life.
There is no transcript to be had of his trial?!
On what grounds was he not allowed to be released until his appeal? How do they 'justify' that?
This whole think stinks to high heaven.

What can we do???

[HCE SuiGeneris]

35. Recommended

[bjobotts]

36. The judge put him in shackles and whisked him into solitary confinement

This was a governor who was not even permitted to straighten out his affairs before going to prison. These people should all be removed from office and from the bench for such behavior. It's sickening that we have essentially a political prisoner held without due process (no court transcript... preventing his appeal). This is Stalinist Russia not America. The state of Alabama has a cloud of shame hanging over it for the abuses forced on them by corrupt republican operatives. Their credibility will be forever mired if this situation is not corrected.

[rambler_american]

37. K&R

Is it too late to save our country?

:kick:

[Pastiche423]

39. Another

:kick:

[mod mom]

42. Here is a contact link to the House Judiciary:

http://judiciary.house.gov/Contact.aspx

[mod mom]

43. Here is a contact link to John Conyers blog:

http://judiciary.house.gov/Contact.aspx

PLS take a minute and let them know how you feel!

[Uncle Joe]

44. Maybe after the Congress gets through investigating Roger Clemens,

they will look in to some real and dangerous corruption of the political system, but that means going after powerful people and so far they seem loathe to do that. I would also like to see the corporate media other than 60 minutes give this at least the same attention if not far more than the Clemens story.

Thanks for the thread, trof.