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Traficant's legal foes seek long jail term (Beacause of ATTITUDE More Than "Crimes")
Cleveland Plain Dealer ^ | July 29, 2002 | John Caniglia

Posted on 07/29/2002 7:23:19 AM PDT by PJ-Comix

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Anybody out there still think that Traficant got a fair trial after reading this article?

Instead, they say in pleadings filed Friday, he has accused investigators, attorneys and a judge of corruptly conspiring to bring him down.

Because of those actions, and for tarnishing the image of Congress, Traficant now deserves the harshest sentence possible, they say.

So if the prosecutors and the judge really are corrupt, the message here is that the defendent must shut his mouth or have the book thrown at him. As for "tarnishing the image of Congress," don't make me laugh.

Tomorrow, U.S. District Judge Lesley Wells will decide Traficant's prison term.

So does the husband of Judge Wells have business dealings with the prosectution team? Unfortunately, this reporter didn't check that allegation out.

Legal experts say Traficant's ouster from the House, as well as two jurors expressing second thoughts about his conviction, are not likely to play into Wells' sentencing.

The two jurors having second thoughts should DEFINITELY play into the sentencing.

He cited Traficant's four-year term as sheriff, when Traficant refused to foreclose on the homes of laid-off steelworkers. Traficant was found in contempt of court, and he was sent to jail for failing to remove the families from their homes.

And how many other members of Congress would have the cojones to go to jail on a matter of principal like this? Yeah, that Traficant is evil alright. He served jail time for REFUSING to evict folks from their homes.

And if a constituent needed help, they said, Traficant wanted to know what the citizen could do for him first.

Yeah, sure. What kind of favors did the family of John Demjanjuk do for Traficant when he went to bat for them at great political risk? What happened is that Traficant helped them investigate the PROVEN corruption of the Justice Department on this matter.

1 posted on 07/29/2002 7:23:19 AM PDT by PJ-Comix
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To: PJ-Comix
The Best of Jim Traficant
2 posted on 07/29/2002 7:28:54 AM PDT by Hillary's Folly
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To: PJ-Comix
And how many other members of Congress would have the cojones to go to jail on a matter of principal like this? Yeah, that Traficant is evil alright. He served jail time for REFUSING to evict folks from their homes

Well, the problem with going to jail on this "principle", is that it is wrongheaded. Sob stories aside, it is evident that the "laid off steelworkers" didn't pay for their homes. What will typically happen in a situation like that is eviction. If every public official decided to stand on the same principle (that you get something for nothing), they'd all be in jail and all the banks would go under.

Traficant's an interesting but altogether nutty dude. Whatever good he did for his constituents doesn't erase the fact that he's been convicted of crimes. By your logic, we had no right to demand Clinton's impeachment and removal because the economy was fine.

3 posted on 07/29/2002 7:32:55 AM PDT by Mr. Bird
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To: PJ-Comix
IMHO Trafficant, much like clinton and condit, may have had some good points (which I doubt) but like them he had a self control problem that led him to this place.

It explains his defense of condit and his NO vote on impeachment of clinton. The man fails to see the TRUTH as he is busily searching for excuses.

4 posted on 07/29/2002 7:33:24 AM PDT by OldFriend
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To: OldFriend
I did a web search and found that another attorney, Elsebeth Baumgartner, PRIOR to Traficant's case made the same allegations about the corruption of Judge Well's husband, Charles Clark.
5 posted on 07/29/2002 7:37:06 AM PDT by PJ-Comix
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To: PJ-Comix
There is no doubt in my mind that the justice system failed in this case.....and probably many many others.

That does not suggest that Condit, Clinton, OJ, and countless others who skated were not guilty. I believe Trafficant broke the law.

6 posted on 07/29/2002 7:39:06 AM PDT by OldFriend
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To: PJ-Comix
87 months is 7 1/4 years. How much time do murderers get?
7 posted on 07/29/2002 7:43:44 AM PDT by aristeides
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To: OldFriend
I still would like to see more information about the husband of Judge Wells....Charles Clark. Did he or did he not have business dealings with the prosecution team? If he did, then this case must be OVERTURNED on appeal.
8 posted on 07/29/2002 7:43:52 AM PDT by PJ-Comix
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To: Hillary's Folly
I love these two:

"Mr. Speaker, today Congress will debate two bills. The first bill is partial-birth abortions. The second bill is wildlife and sport fish restoration. Unbelievable. Kill the babies but save the trout and the tit mouse. Beam me up. In fact, beam me up, Scotty. See, I believe that Congress and America can and should save both the babies and the wildlife. Think about it. I yield back an old street saying: Only in America, Mr. Speaker."

"Mr. Speaker, a 1992 law designed to save water said that the old standard 3 1/2 gallon toilet must be replaced with a 1 1/2 gallon streamlined job. It sounds good, but Americans have been flushing away ever since. It has gotten so bad there is now a black market on old reliables. It is no joke. Americans are getting potty fatigue flushing their own toilet. If that is not enough, Members of the other side, to squeeze your Charmin, if you get caught flushing an old reliable in your own home, it is a $2,500 fine. Beam me up here. I say the nincompoop over at EPA who suggested this policy should go to a proctologist for a brain scan. Flush this. I yield back all the constipation over this issue and urge us to bring old reliable back to its appropriate throne."


9 posted on 07/29/2002 7:44:23 AM PDT by CedarDave
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To: OldFriend
There is no doubt in my mind that the justice system failed in this case

I disagree. It worked perfectly, like a well run railroad, all the players playing their parts to perfection.

10 posted on 07/29/2002 7:44:40 AM PDT by Travis McGee
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To: PJ-Comix
And the DOJ lawyers who practised fraud against the court in the Demjanjuk case (as the Sixth Circuit, led by Chief Judge Merritt, held) escaped with no more punishment than a scolding by the court.
11 posted on 07/29/2002 7:45:13 AM PDT by aristeides
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To: aristeides
There were members of congress who raped under age pages and got NOTHING.

There is a senator in good standing who ran a homo bordello out of his house.

And JT goes to prison, hard time.

12 posted on 07/29/2002 7:46:30 AM PDT by Travis McGee
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To: aristeides
Lawyers rarely get the punishment they deserve for the havoc they cause in our society.
13 posted on 07/29/2002 7:49:15 AM PDT by CedarDave
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To: aristeides
And the DOJ lawyers who practised fraud against the court in the Demjanjuk case (as the Sixth Circuit, led by Chief Judge Merritt, held) escaped with no more punishment than a scolding by the court.

And yet their crimes were much worse than those alleged about Traficant. They committed PERJURY (now not an impeachable offense).

14 posted on 07/29/2002 7:50:54 AM PDT by PJ-Comix
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To: Travis McGee
many witnesses whom prosecutors called at his trial were felons who testified against him to get light sentences.

This practice has to stop. A felon is a criminal; why should the jury or anyone expect the truth from a convicted felon. A lighter sentence is motive in itself to extract lies.

15 posted on 07/29/2002 7:51:11 AM PDT by George from New England
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To: CedarDave
Remember what that IDIOT congressman from Missouri said: Traficant must be guilty precisely because of the LACK of physical evidence against him.
16 posted on 07/29/2002 7:52:28 AM PDT by PJ-Comix
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To: George from New England
A lighter sentence is motive in itself to extract lies.

I just hope Traficant gets a good lawyer this time to handle the appeals process. This case is definitely one that is SCREAMING OUT to be overturned..... And I still want more info about Judge Wells' husband....Charles Clark.

17 posted on 07/29/2002 7:54:48 AM PDT by PJ-Comix
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To: PJ-Comix
PJ, I thought it was a farce and a show trial ( Soviet-style ) from the start. Trafficant may be corrupt, but he isn't the worst of the bunch by a long shot.

And for all his faults, 7 or 8 or 9 times out of 10, when he spoke up about something, I agreed with him.

18 posted on 07/29/2002 8:06:14 AM PDT by backhoe
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To: PJ-Comix
Traficant must be guilty precisely because of the LACK of physical evidence against him.

Yeah, the twit said Traficant was too smart to be caught by the FBI.

They had no evidence but threw him out anyway.

Have you checked out the hearings on C-Span.org?

19 posted on 07/29/2002 8:09:27 AM PDT by carenot
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To: PJ-Comix
Jim Trafficant's crime was too much mouth and criticism of the establishment. We cannot allow an individual like this to have free rein in this Politically Correct environment. His infractions of the law were minor compared to some of his cohorts in government.
20 posted on 07/29/2002 8:09:41 AM PDT by meenie
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