Posted on 01/10/2011 12:34:15 PM PST by Hawk720
judge has ordered U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to serve three years in prison for his role in a scheme to illegally funnel corporate money to Texas candidates in 2002.
The sentence comes after a jury in November convicted DeLay on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. DeLay was once one of the most powerful men in U.S. politics, ascending to the No. 2 job in the House of Representatives.
The former Houston-area congressman had faced up to life in prison. His attorneys asked for probation.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
sinkspur rejoices. ....wherever he is
“Judge Pat Priest sentenced DeLay to three years on the conspiracy charge and five years on the money-laundering charge. But the judge will allow DeLay to serve 10 years probation with community service on the laundering charge in lieu of the prison sentence, and the two sentences will be served concurrently.
Priest remanded DeLay into custody and set a $10,000 bond pending appeal.”
http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/01/10/delay.sentencing/index.html?hpt=T2
Mr. Congolene hasn't faced criminal charges yet, has he? I thought he only (so far, and that's probably the end of it) had to endure his congressional 'censure'.
the ex-post-facto issue,
is hard to believe.
could someone please elaborate on that
Where the hell are the Republicans and the conservative media? This is outrageous: a creative reading of a the laundering law that was designed to jail mobsters and drug dealers, and a left-wing partisan prosecutor! The liberals want to jail the opposition like the Stalinists they are, and the Republicans are not fighting this? This reminds me of the Plame case, and how the liberals aimed for Rove, but Got Scooter Libby.
if I remember correctly,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
what Delay supposedly did,
was supposedly illegal at the time,
since then,
the law has been changed.
.............
if not correct, please enlighten me
This is an injustice .Delay did nothing wrong you moron.
Reminds me of my favorite nonsense saying “I don't make mistakes! I thought I made one once...... but I was wrong.”
:D
As well they should. Since this sounds like nothing more nor less than a railroading.
But he rejected DeLay's contention that the prosecution's novel use of a money-laundering statute - meant to target bank robbers, drug dealers and criminal fraud - was unjust.Its use was justified, Priest said, because the crime for which DeLay was convicted was itself novel.
Novel, indeed. As I recall, Ronnie Earle had to go to two grand juries, then make up a law in order to get an indictment.
Delay should've demanded a change of venue. He simply wasn't going to get a fair trial in Travis County.
It has been a while and I can't locate the story.
Delay did nothing wrong and truth was lost in RAT translation.
Remember to cool off before posting and accusing someone of making up facts!!
“Keep Austin weird, ya’ll!”
So, you support putting innocent people in jail just because you don't like them?
The judge was from San Antonio, not Austin, and was appointed by the Republican Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. Delay did file for a change of venue, which was denied.
My concern was the jury, not the judge. They were from Travis County.
Delay did file for a change of venue, which was denied.
Hmmmmmmmmmm. Upon reflection, just how would one compose a plea that amounted to "I can't get a fair trial before a jury consisting of twelve liberal Democrats"?
Tom still got notoriety and the chicks, that’s all that counts.
That is peanuts and to me illustrates that those in the know recognize this will be thrown out on appeal.
May well happen but we’ll have to wait and see. DeLay’s attorney says it’ll be reversed/thrown out but then he said DeLay wouldn’t be convicted. DeLay’s two associates, Ellis and Colyandro, in this case had their indictments held up by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals which is the same court DeLay’s appeal will be heard in.
Yes, the jurors were all from Travis County.
As far as the change of venue is concerned, that was part of his argument, but it was never going to be a winner. IIRC, his primary argument was that the alleged crime did not occur in Travis County, therefore he should be tried in Ft. Bend County, his home county.
One count which DeLay was indicted was under the Election Code which was eventually thrown out. The remaining two counts are under the Criminal Code which has been on the books prior to DeLay’s supposedly actions and it is under this two counts that he was convicted. It has been on the books years prior to DeLay’s indictment that corporate money was a no no in state office elections. His convictions are regarding criminal actions of money laundering and conspriacy.
“DeLay Conspiracy Charges Tossed, Money Laundering Case Remains: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,177753,00.html
....December 5, 2005: Judge Priest dismissed one count, conspiracy to violate election law, but let stand two counts alleging money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.......
I just recall a prosecutor trying to charge him with a certain crime that wasn’t against the law at the time money was transferred all the while RATs were doing the same thing.
You are correct and that charged was dropped/thrown out. The remaining two charges are under the Texas Criminal Code, not the election code. See the following for a timeline of events, etc. Keep in mind it’s from Wiki so it may not be all inclusive or completely accurate.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,177753,00.html ... DeLay lawyer Dick DeGuerin argued that one of the charges — conspiracy to violate the Texas election code — did not even take effect until September 2003, a year after the alleged offenses occurred. Priest agreed and dismissed that charge.
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