Thom Hartmann: Why Have Travel Restrictions been Placed on Governor Siegelman?

[L. Coyote]

Why Have Travel Restrictions been Placed on Governor Siegelman?
By Thom Hartmann - http://airamerica.com/thomhartmannpage/blog/2008/may/07/why-have-travel-restrictions-been-placed-governor-siegelman


Tune in May 8th on The Thom Hartmann Program - Former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman www.donsiegelman.org is here taking your calls [phone]. Since Gov. Siegelman is not allowed to travel, we'll be checking in with him from time to time so his case continues to get national attention.

Update: Governor Don Siegelman has been out of prison on bond for over a month and has given interviews to 60 Minutes on CBS, The Verdict on MSNBC, the New York Times, the House Judiciary Committee, the Tuscaloosa News, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on Ring of Fire and The Thom Hartmann Program. Now Travel restrictions have been imposed on him. Travel restrictions on a non-violent offender who has been deemed "not a flight risk" seems unusual.

Gov. Siegelman says, "If I'm not a flight risk, why would they be constricting my travel and making it very difficult if not impossible to leave the state?" he said. "There isn't but one conclusion, and that is that they don't want me speaking out on issues. They don't want me speaking to Congress or speaking to the media."

--Thom Hartmann

[Elwood P Dowd]

1. AP & rawstory.com say travel restrictions were a mistake

and he can travel. Has something changed since Friday?

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Oops_Feds_admit_mistake_in_calling_0502.html

[L. Coyote]

2. I guess we will have to listen.

[Warpy]

3. Standard procedure for someone convicted of a crime

who is out pending appeal. Passports have to be turned in and interstate travel needs to be approved by the court.

[EFerrari]

4. Actually, I read an LBN story that said the powers that be

apologized for putting special restrictions on him in error. That was late last week.

They said it was a mistake, which of course, I don't believe.

I'll see if I can dig the story up.

Found it:

U.S. admits error restricting travel for Siegelman
Saturday, May 03, 2008
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Federal court officials acknowledged Friday they erred this week in classifying former Alabama governor Don Siegelman as a special offender who required an extra layer of approval before traveling to New Orleans.

Probation officials in Alabama and Louisiana mistakenly applied rules governing offenders who are on probation.

Siegelman is not on probation; he is free on bond pending appeal, said Karen Redmond, spokeswoman for the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/120980252355810.xml&coll=2

[Peace Patriot]

5. NOTHING is "standard procedure" regarding the Seigelman case! nt