Court Overturns Phone Jamming Conviction {James Tobin}

AP via SFGate ^ | 3/21/7 | BEVERLEY WANG

[SmithL]

Concord, N.H. (AP) -- A federal appeals court on Wednesday reversed the conviction and sentence of a former Republican National Committee official accused in a phone-jamming plot on Election Day 2002.

James Tobin, the former regional chairman of President Bush's re-election campaign, was convicted in 2005 of helping to arrange more than 800 hang-up calls that jammed get-out-the-vote phone lines set up by the state Democratic Party and the Manchester firefighters' union for about an hour. Republican John Sununu defeated then-Gov. Jeanne Shaheen for the Senate that day.

Tobin was sentenced to 10 months in prison.

But the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston ruled that the statute under which Tobin was convicted "is not a close fit" for what Tobin did and questioned whether the government showed that Tobin intended to harass. A Justice Department spokesman said prosecutors were reviewing the decision, and did not say if they planned to appeal.

"Oh my God, wow, you know sometimes there is no justice," said New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairwoman Kathy Sullivan.

[Frank_2001]

Oh cry me a river, Kathy!

[trumandogz]

Look for the Democrats to use this ruling as justification to jam the phones of the entire GOP GOTV Effort in 2008.

[brityank]

... what Tobin did and questioned whether the government showed that Tobin intended to harass.

If he did, he deserves to go down.

[Phsstpok]

"Oh my God, wow, you know sometimes there is no justice," said New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairwoman Kathy Sullivan.

I would agree, as in the Libby case, the case against Cap Weinberger, Tom DeLay, etc.

In this case, however, I think it's really obvious that the court has slapped down insane partisan lunacy.  This is the case that Hillary referred to in her renewal of the "vast right wing conspiracy" speech last week.

I wonder if any DBM outlet will report that her precious "conviction as proof" has been overturned?

[Mark was here]

Let me get this straight, he was sent to jail for calling rats and confusing them?

[EQAndyBuzz]

"Let me get this straight, he was sent to jail for calling rats and confusing them?"

Hehe... Come over here Mr. Cohen, let me show you how to negotiate this butterfly ballot. You see, Al Gore's name is right here and Patrick Buchanan's name is here. So push this button.......

[Political Junkie Too]

Next, they'll convict someone for intentionally draining campaign funds by sending back prepaid envelopes with no donations in them.

-PJ

[George W. Bush]

So does this mean Hitlery was wrong when she said that the NH case proved there was a vast right wing conspiracy?

[Tamar1973]

Let me get this straight, he was sent to jail for calling rats and confusing them?

If everyone who dumfounded a liberal had to go to jail, 1/2 of the country would be a jail. LOL!

[sig226]

Why? He didn't do any of this. He called up the dummiecrats and hung up. He tied up their phone. It's childish, but it hardly rises to the level of criminal behavior.