Posted on 08/26/2010 2:41:03 AM PDT by markomalley
AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, will be tried on money laundering charges in Austin, a Texas judge ruled Wednesday.
The ruling came as part of pretrial hearings during which DeLay argued he should be tried in Houston, near his home, because the case involves election matters, the Austin American-Statesman reported. His attorney, Dick DeGuerin also argued DeLay could not get a fair trial in Travis County.
"I know there's negative feeling about Tom DeLay -- and it's strong," Senior District Judge Pat Priest said, adding DeLay could get a fair trial nonetheless.
DeLay said he was "very disappointed" by the ruling, the newspaper reported.
"I hope I can get a fair trial here," he said. "We'll find out."
Priest struck down several defense motions to have the case dropped and then set a trial date of Oct. 26.
DeLay is charged with laundering $190,000 of corporate funds into campaign donations during the 2002 election. He has denied the charge.
Prosecutors argued DeLay was charged under the criminal code, so they could try him in Travis County where he was indicted.
Priest said DeLay would be tried before his co-defendants, former aides Jim Ellis and John Colyandro. DeLay was indicted in 2005 and forced to resign as House speaker. He eventually decided not to return to Congress.
"There is such a thing as a speedy trial," Priest said. "Five years later, it's high time he got it."
DeLay, who has maintained the charges against him were politically motivated, said he was pleased, the American-Statesman said.
"I've been asking for a trial now for five years," DeLay said. "Finally, I'm getting a trial."
Prosecutors said they would pursue charges of making unlawful donations against Ellis and Colyandro.
Wow do they have to go to the bottom of the deck for this one. Gin up the presses: headline "Republican Delay and Cronies to be tried; will Bush be Subpoenaed ?" It will be the most heavily reported story the week before the election.
Austin,huh?
The Leftist anus of the Texas body politic.
He will get a fair trial there...”FWOOOSH!!!”
(Body self combusted from too extreme sarcasm)
There is no way DeLay can get a fair trial from a jury in liberal Austin. Who do they think they’re kidding? The mere fact the trial is scheduled a week before the elections, in Austin, should tell you all you need to know about Travis County democrat politics.
Ping.. Looks like a railroading job to me..
Anyone have a ping list on this topic?
LOL!
"There is such a thing as a speedy trial," Priest said. "Five years later, it's high time he got it."
LOL!
" ...set a trial date of Oct. 26. " (One week before elections)
LOL!
This will be the fairest, best timed and most ethical trial in the history of Texas. Can't we just hang him first and then try him?
“Money laundering”? LOL
Bet they have already written their stories.
They are playing the same trick they always do. In this case they make the good people of this country believe one of their own has been vindicated; when they are preparing to try and take him down.
This is a trap that has been effective in the past. It works on your mind. What it does is lift you up only to bring you down which moves you closer to believing you are trapped and government is your all knowing master.
The truth is you are not trapped and the government is not your master. It is based on fraud and lies.
The fools in government are only human beings just like everyone else. They have no magical powers unless you want to believe they do. Don’t fall for this trap.
For an action that was not prohibited by law until after the alleged deed.
Then we should PING Willie Green. < /sarc >
Where is that ass-wipe Ronnie Earle these days?
What really gets me is that ronnie earle had to go “jury shopping” several times before he found enough grand jurors to even bring the charges against DeLay.
He got his @$$ handed to him during the primaries for LT governor. I think he is still in Austin. He may be called in to testify about his “jury shopping” during the trial.
That figures.
DeGuerin set two points in his motions that, IMO, will be valid points to appeal the trial.
He actually commissioned a poll which said DeLay had over 50% unfavorables in Travis County and also that the accuser was the District Attorney of Travis County (since retired).
IOW, it is a prejudiced county to have the trial. While I wouldn’t want the trial moved to Fort Bend County (DeLay’s old district), the fair thing would have been to move the trial out to west Texas or North Texas which is neither DeLay’s home turf or Ronnie Earle’s.
Ronnie Earl. The man who prosecutes democrats hoping they’ll cop a plea. If they don’t he drops the charges at the last minute. This guy has been indicting republicans ever since he was elected.
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