Posted on 09/05/2007 3:07:12 PM PDT by freespirited
The politics of being caught in an airport sex sting are tough enough for Sen. Larry Craig, but a legal fight against his guilty plea won't be any easier. The Republican on Wednesday relayed word that he would resign his seat by Sept. 30 only if he fails to withdraw last month's guilty plea to a charge of disorderly conduct.
Legal experts say it's tough to convince a judge to allow a guilty plea to be withdrawn, and that even if the tactic succeeds, it could backfire if it leads to a trial where the lurid allegations against the senator get a full public airing.
Craig has maintained he is innocent following his arrest by an undercover police officer who said the senator behaved in an airport men's room like a man soliciting sex. He has said he mistakenly pleaded guilty to simply make the case go away.
He has already been sentenced. He paid $575 in fines and fees, and has a 10-day suspended jail sentence hanging over his head during his one-year unsupervised probation if he commits the same offense again.
He also signed each page of a three-page guilty plea agreement. On page one, above his signature, are the words "I now make no claim that I am innocent of the charge to which I am entering a plea of guilty."
Craig had yet to file court papers on Wednesday seeking to challenge the plea in Minnesota.
"I think the odds are long," said Doug Kelley, a Minneapolis defense lawyer and former assistant U.S. attorney who was chief of staff to former Sen. David Durenberger. "I think he's got to show either that he was coerced into the plea, or that he didn't understand his legal rights at the time he signed the document acknowledging guilt."
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
Nobody gets it. It doesn’t matter if they revers his plea. How are they going to reverse the very public knowledge that he’s a pervert who trolls for homos in restrooms?
It’s over. He needs to go away (and probably get a blood test too).
I agree...his wife needs one too. I don;t get why people don;t see this. Who cares if the plea is reversed? It doesn't change anything. I guess everyone forgets what effect Mark Foley had on last year's election.
I cant understand why the conservative talk show hosts want to go easy on this guy. He’s a friggin men’s room perv. That only a rung or two up the ladder from a child molester. I just dont get it......
Right. He has to give up on the plea withdrawal idea although it is easier than the reporter says (surprise surprise). When someone enters these without a lawyer they are routinely granted leave to withdraw the plea especially if the person so requesting is now represented by a lawyer.
I agree 100%. Having voted for Craig twice when I lived in Idaho, he should just resign and drift away.
The "enlightened" Lindsey Graham wing of the Republican party begs to differ ... it was us benighted bigots who were the problem, then and now.
They're just following Reagan's 11th Commandment: "Never speak ill of another Republican." Which has to be the dumbest political aphorism ever. Witness "Glory hole" Larry.
Now how could a stupid Democrat Congressman ie a Kennedy know this and a supposedly smart Republican Senator not know this?
Because he is a closet Queen, not a drug taking reprobate.
Some one posted earlier that the constitution forbids the arrest of a U.S. Senator. He should of been aware of that defense. But he wasnt thinking about the US Constitution when he was caught, his mind was on man love.
Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution says no member of Congress can be arrested while traveling to or from official session except for treason, felony and breach of the peace
Craig was arrested just after 12 noon June 11. He cast a vote on a high-profile cloture motion on the Senate floor at 5:55 p.m. that same day.
He was thinking a quick guilty plea would mean his little toilet soireé would not get media exposure.
It no longer matters what happened in that toilet, it only matters that you are hurting the conservative movement. You are a huge target for salacious blackmailing and whatever else the Lefties can get on you. Please do the right thing and fade away.
Think about it, Larry, Arlen Specter is your new “rabbi”. It doesn’t get any worse, pal.
I think they're wrong about that, but even still. Can you imagine being falsley accused of something like cruising a bathroom for sex and pleading guilty to a lesser charge. Knowing all along you did nothing wrong? There's NO WAY I'd let a charge like that stand. No way in the world. Now imagine you're a United States Senator...with all the power in the world to bring the full weight and power of the federal government to bear on this cop who dared to make that kind of an accusation. Were he innocent that cop's live would have been made a living hell. But, is that what happened? hell no!
Gee, I thought all you had to do is tap your foot three times.
I dunno. Could be.
Is it possible that he’s telling the truth and the cop is lying?
It's not possible that Larry Craig is telling the truth, because he pled guilty. Was he lying then, or is he lying now? My bet is on now.
“It’s sounding like our only hope is a judge who won’t let him withdraw the guilty plea.”
If the judge is a democrat, I predict he will re-open this case. The airing out of Craigs actions will do more harm to the GOP, while the democrats sit back and watch the futher implosion of the GOP.
No.
Unless he thought he could make it go away. There's no win in a trial for him. As the cops say, "You can beat the rap but you can't beat the ride."
If Craig mistakenly thought he could beat the ride by paying a fine... well he'd be an idiot, but still not guilty.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.