Yost
Posted on 11/03/2005 8:16:28 AM PST by frankjr
Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff pleaded not guilty Thursday in the CIA leak scandal, marking the start of what could be a long road to a trial in which Cheney and other top Bush administration officials could be summoned to testify.
Libby entered the plea in front of U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton, a former prosecutor who has spent two decades as a judge in the nation's capital.
Once the charges were read and the judge asked for his response, Libby said: "With respect, your honor, I plead not guilty."
...
Cheney's top aide signaled his determination to fight the charges after Friday's grand jury indictment, which has provided more fuel to the political debate over the White House's possible misuse of prewar intelligence on Iraq. Libby bolstered his defense team this week with two well-known criminal trial lawyers, Ted Wells and William Jeffress.
Wells won acquittals for former Agriculture Secretary Michael Espy and former Labor Secretary Raymond Donovan. He is a partner at the New York-based firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.
Jeffress is from the firm Baker Botts, where Bush family friend and former Secretary of State James A. Baker is a senior partner. Jeffress has won acquittals for public officials accused of extortion, perjury, money laundering, and vote-buying, his firm's Web site says.
...
No, but they did mention that Fitzma has been cancelled.
Although plea discussions are part of any criminal case, somehow I strongly doubt there will be a plea deal in this case. Libby brought in some seriously big-time legal firepower to represent him. To me it looks like he plans to fight this all the way.
***
I agree. And unless he does get a complete acquittal, Mr. Libby's working life in Washington will be over. So I'm sure he won't want to plea bargain unless he absolutely has to.
FREE SCOOTER!
Fox news just had the statement by Libby's atty Wells, saying Libby wants to go to trial and this will not be tried in the press.
What are the chances that, in order to avoid a trial and to try to help the Democrats in the mid-term elections, the trial is delayed until December 2006 and then the charges are dropped??
Yost
That's a hell of a legal team. Ted Wells is a genius. Fitz should be afraid.
Can you give us more info on his record?
Not only that, but he'd lose his license to practice law. He wouldn't be able to make a living in his profession.
Instead of wasting time trying to pass a bill giving reporters a federal shield law, Congress should be working on legislation to put an end to grand jury entrapment of this kind.
O'Reilly last night, or was it Vannity, was saying that Libby represented Financier Marc Rich, and received 2,000,000 from him in fees. Think he'll be raked over the coals in the media over that escapade?
I don't know that Plame or Wilson will be called as witnesses in this trial. When you look at what Libby is charged with, I don't see that testimony from Plame and Wilson are pertinent.
Jeffress is from the firm Baker Botts, where Bush family friend and former Secretary of State James A. Baker is a senior partner.
The Velvet Hammer is back! This will be a legal rout. I remember Baker showing up in Bush's corner during the Florida fight in 2000, and that wimp Warren Christopher in Gore's corner. When I saw that match-up I thought "this thing's over."
Ted Wells - possibly a future Supreme court possibility? Any hope of posting his resume here?
has Libby started a defense fund?
Fitzgerald doesn't impress me as someone who will drop the charges. I think he fancies himself a knight in shining armor doing battle with the evil king. A lot of people say he's an honorable prosecutor. Personally, I don't see any honor in what he's done. None whatsoever.
Fitzgerald was appointment by one of Ashcroft's deputies, because Ashcroft recused himself. Bush did not appoint Fitzgerald.
Looking for the Defense fund right now...
This is one of his Lawyers....
Dechert, LLC
Joseph A. Tate
Partner
Philadelphia
"Start by subpoenaing Joe and Valerie "Vanity Fair" Wilson, Tim "I'll never lie to you" Russert and Matt Cooper..."
First comes the discovery part where the testimony of every leftwing maggot of the MSM is gone over.
Then, come the subpoenas for Joe Plame/Wilson and Foley, Plame's supervisor who suddenly retired when this BS hit the fan.
Then ask and demand an open trial after the judge has been vetted. If the left selects a rat judge, Libby's lawyers will do what DeLay's lawyers did, have it removed.
Maybe Zell Miller and Peter King can called in as expert witnesses about CIA normal policy and how it was violated by Plame/Wilson/Foley.
Subpeona every rat senator and Clintoon staff member who told the American people about $addam's WMDs while Clinton was president. Were they lying then or now about the WMDs.
Last but not least, have the head of MI6 testify about their imput re WMDS and the nuclear potential of $addam.
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