Tweet
Warren Zevon – Lawyers, Guns and Money…seemed like that kind of day today.
A bit of a legal round-up for the weekend:
– Hey, I know. How about a substantive question (H/T Jamo at Media Matters) about constitutional and rule of law issues in the Presidential debates instead of idiotic, insulting dreck about diamonds and pearls? These people are going to run our country, not be fashion editors at Vogue. More substance, less stupid fluff — fer the love of liberty. (H/T to readers tw3k and Ima Patriot II.)
– The latest in Rachel Paulose excuses for bad management idiocy via Eric Black (H/T to Phoenix Woman). Yes, it is the fault of people who are soft on trafficked prostitutes now…go figure.
– Marty at Balkinization has a great discussion going on the OPR’s investigation of the Office of Legal Counsel at the DOJ. And a response from David Leban that is also worth a read on the ethics questions involved. Good stuff.
– 60 Minutes has a troubling piece scheduled this evening on the FBI’s discrediting of lead/bullet analysis — and the fact that they failed to notify defense counsel that it might have led to wrongful convictions in cases where that evidence was used to secure guilty verdicts. What a mess. The WaPo has more. The fact that scientific evidence was discredited by later scientific discovery is nothing new — the fact that people at the FBI tried to hide that from defense counsel, whose clients have a statutorily restricted window for appeal under certain circumstances is unconscionable.
– Glenn dissects the Bush speech to the Federalist Society. It’s not pretty.
– Former Justice Sandra Day O’Connor has a piece in OpinionJournal on election of judges, and how special interest pushing of particular issues can skew the process. This is worth a read and some thought. It’s an odd dichotomy that judges run for election on a partisan basis but then are expected to put that aside while they sit on the bench, only to ramp it up again for the next election cycle. Some are very careful about that — some not so much — in my experience. But, living in a state where judges are elected, I can tell you that special interest money has poured into the election ads the last few years on all sides. And in a state as small as ours, where you often know all the folks running very well, the outside interest money almost always gets it wrong — but it doesn’t prevent their ads from influencing all those non-lawyer folks who don’t know the people involved. Definitely something that needs much more discussion nationwide. (And, speaking of Justice O’Connor, Andrew Cohen at Bench Blog had a poignant piece on her earlier this week as well.)
– Elizabeth de la Vega has some thoughts on torture.
84 Comments
Support this site!
Subscribe to the newsletter
Advertise on Firedoglake
Send
us your tips
Make us your homepage
About Firedoglake
Here’s a legal decision you missed, Christy, about Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation and state secrets.
Fitz! Zedediah!
the FBI’s discrediting of lead/bullet analysis
I found out about the bogus nature of this type of evidence while investigating an insurance claim in Compton, Ca., in the mid-eighties.
lawyers! guns! money!
oh, sorry – got excited there for a minute…
And here’s a little bit about how the Republicans are losing the Moderates of their party in Iowa.
That Was the Final Straw For Me
“I’ve left the party. I am no longer a Republican,” said Dottie Carpenter of Des Moines, who served as a Republican in the Iowa House of Representatives for 14 years until 1995. “I’m sick and tired of every candidate for the Republican nomination kowtowing to the religious right.”
Former Justice Sandra Day O’Connor has a piece in OpinionJournal on election of judges, and how special interest pushing of particular issues can skew the process.
given her role in election stealing, isn’t she a little low on credibility?
I am astounded that Bush could read those words with a straight face.
Thanks for the H/T! Media Matters really hit the nail on the head.
Now back to coffee and link reading.
good afternoon all!
Judges are elected??!!!
Alice at 6 — It’s a good piece, and worth reading and discussing. She makes some valid points in it, and they are ones that we would do well to at least think about. I’ve learned not to disregard good ideas, even when they come from people with whom I sometimes disagree — you learn from good knowledge, no matter its source, and you try and build things better from there.
Just because the idea is a good one for discussion, doesn’t mean every idea from that particular source is good. If I only took ideas from perfect people as starting points, I wouldn’t have anything to write about at all. Myself included.
Fern at 9 — They are in my state. Federal judges are appointed, but all judges are not. Our state supreme court justices are elected, as are our circuit judges and family law judges and magistrates. That’s a lot of legal process balancing on the thin edge of politics, fundraising, and ethics, and the wire is increasingly frayed by outside interventions and special interest money.
Unconscionable and oh so BushCo.
After a haphazard in and out on some of the morning shows, a pox on the gasbags. So much hot air about process, so little focus on policy. Pearls vs diamonds trumps people every day.
A disgusting state of the mainstream media. How any of these people can look themselves in the mirror is beyond me.
http://www.kansascity.com/news…..65963.html
You want lawyers fighting, over deleted e-mails. Add to that, violations of open government laws. There is now a special investigation of Governor Matt Blunt of Missouri.
It may not be much compared to Total Information Awareness of KKKarl Rove. But it is crunchy enough to have the Governor’s security guards shoving around the local reporters.
EvilDrPuma @ 7
Remember a few years ago, Bush said “Nothing has changed, you need a warrant to spy on people.” He said that with a straight face also.
Alberto Gonzales is coming to speak at UF this week. Anybody got a question they want me to ask?
Questions I’m considering are:
1. Can you explain to us why your speech is worth $40,000 of student funds? Can you give that money back, please?
2. Can you define “fascism” for me?
3. Members of the Japanese military who practiced waterboarding on prisoners during WWII were prosecuted for war crimes. Was that a mistake?
Geez, Christy, I don’t know where to start. Elizabeth de la Vega, Glenn, Marty at Balkinization! So many good columns to read; so little time!
cleter at 15 — You can also add that American soldiers during the Vietnam war were also prosecuted by the military for waterboarding Vietnamese civilians. Just FYI.
campaign finance reform:
1.only us citzens- no pacs, no unions, no corporatios- are allowed to donate.
2.You can only donate if you live in jurisdeiction. Only one residence per person alowed.
3. balance of funds- set amount per candidate by office type/constituent size/miles to cover
O/T, and OMG – has anyone seen the crap fluff on the WaPo splash page, “meeting of young conservatives?”
Holy. Fucking. Shit. Pity the poor young conservatives! They have no Reagan to lead them! Ima gonna go puke now.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 17
Thanks!
I hope I don’t get tased.
Gonzales is apparently pissed, because the student paper published his contract, which he wanted to remain secret. He particularly didn’t want people to know he’s getting 40k.
Well I don’t know who The Swamp is and their website doesn’t make it clear, but here’s commentary on Edwards appearances on FTN and talking with weird breather today.
Edwards stresses he is passionate, not angry, about this campaign…and crying mudslinging is a poll-tested whine…especially considering what the general election’s going to be like.
BTW, speaking of good reads, does anyone know what Murray Waas is doing these days? I thought I saw a reference to something he’d written the other day, but I got distracted before I clicked on his name and couldn’t find it later. Has he anything out within the last 2 weeks to anyone’s knowledge?
Moon @ 3
There are at least 2500 people convicted where this “pseudo-science” was used in the trial. Hopefully Barry Scheck will look at these cases quickly.
Yes, judges are elected in Texas, too. All the way up to the state Supreme Court. It’s a toss up which would be worse – the Governor and the lege (as Molly I. lovingly referred to them) appointing judges, or them being elected. At least in liberal places such as Austin and some of the more urbanized counties (like Dallas of all places!) there is a chance of electing good folks.
Anybody see Doonesbury today? Wonderful jab at the WaPo and other major journamalism centers.
Lawyers, guns and money? Heh! I’m getting ready to do a radio program tomorrow in Alaska that you could call “Lawyers, Oil and MONEY.” I’ll be interviewing plaintiffs in the upcoming hearing before the US Supreme Court of the class action lawsuit against Exxon, regarding punitive damages awarded in the Exxon Valdez case. This case has been going on for fifteen years. The disaster from which the litigation ensued, happened 18 and a half years ago. I’ll be posting all the legal briefs issued for the early spring battle up at my blog early this afternoon.
Arkansas is one of the states who elect everybody.. Over 73 judges, 100 State House Reps and 35 State Senators, right down to justice of the peace and county clerks, assessor, and coroner. If ever a perfect example of failed media coverage on a local level were needed, it would be the complete disregard for these candidates and their positions.
Most of the time a voter couldn’t find a resume’ or simple bio of the folks on the ballot, even on the internet. (at least not yet.)
here’s a legalese hypothesis put forward by Thom Hartman on his broadcast today;
suppose bush “recess appoints” persons even though Reid is keeping congress in session, then what?
the administration laughs at congress and laughs at precedence, why, he actually attaches his own interpretation to bills that he signs, sometimes taking a position in direct opposition to that very bill he is signing
so why would he give a flying turd that congress isn’t in recess?
he’s might just appoint his officials anyway
and then what?
when bush instructed his aids to defy subpeona, what did congress do about that?
nothing
same thing here, they will do nothing
perris @ 28
One thing to consider, is that notes are taken of all unprecedented acts.
Then, under a Democratic administration, all acts can be duplicated. Repubs complain, we say “Tough shit”.
Moon @ 3
Yeah, this leads into the point I was going to make. IANAL and I don’t make any attempt to keep up with these things, but even I remember having heard about this before. How can defense lawyers have been oblivious? Among other things that leap rapidly to mind, aren’t there websites where defense lawyeers can quickly check out stuff like this to see if it is bogus?
Perris, thanks for asking this. I have wondered the same thing. Reid has been sooooo tough up to now. What’s to keep him from doing it? And Pelosi will still keep her table nice and neat.
EvilDrPuma @ 7
I already knew what Glenn had to say. The analysis I wanted is what were the code words.
SteveAudio @ 29
Do you really want to spend the next 8 said saying “Bush did it?”
Prairie Sunshine @ 21
The Tribune company publishes the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times and the Baltimore Sun, The Swamp is their Washington Bureau.
perris @ 28
Yep.
SteveAudio @ 29
I think you miss the point, we don’t want ANY president pulling this crap, it doesn’t matter WHICH party does it
do YOU want to see hilary pulling this?…or obama?…or even gore?
no, it’s depraved and it’s a despot
It’s one thing to dispute scientific evidentiary findings — attorneys do that all the time with evidentiary issues that come up in testing and other questions. There are specific legal procedures under Daubert and other cases that are done to argue for or against particular scientific testimony.
But that is wholly different than the FBI finding out difinitively that the scientific method is bogus, telling defense counsel that it was still valid — effectively lying in writing — all the while knowing that there is a statute of limitations on the defendants filing for appeal based on evidentiary grounds. THAT is a whole other legal issue, which you see discussed in both articles that I linked above.
I overheard Mary Katherine Hamm on the Howie Show saying that KOS talking about Bush proves he’s not ‘forward thinking’.
These Pugs are amazing seeing they have spent a good part of the last decade saying ‘Clinton did it’!
Not as shameless as Bush or Judge O’Connor, but shameless.
-GSD
Hey cleter, OT – I wanted to tell you the other night when the conversation was about names and Cassie wanting to change hers that one of my very favoritist people in the world is named Cletus. It’s an old cowboy name in my world and Cletus is the best.
eCAHNomics @ 33
No, of course not, but it seems to be all we have.
And that’s not the right way to phrase it.
How about this:
“That prick you supported, who pissed on the constitution, did it.
So if it’s good enough for him, it’s good enoough for us. Fuck you!”
Like that, I think.
eCAHNomics @ 30
Even if they do, what can they do about it?. “The FBI lab says this is like a bullet finger print” to the jury. Unless you have huge amounts of money to hire “expert” witnesses” to say it’s all crap, you are screwed. I suspect even then it would be hard to discredit the “FBI” to the average juror.
cleter @ 15
And the final Q, in the lite vein of Pearls/Diamonds: Why do you have no neck?
SteveAudio @ 29
Problem is, I don’t *want* the gov’t, R or D, pullin’ this shit. I want SUNSHINE!
Christy at 10:
I admire your objectivity, but I can’t even read about her without being reminded of the blood on her hands. It would be like reading an essay on international law by Pol Pot and trying to concentrate on the legal concepts. And he didn’t violate an oath of office.
Corporate Hillary is the best Republican candidate for President…
Has anyone noticed the GOP’s latest Iraq talking point?
Mission Accomplished Again!
-GSD
Steve-AR — Actually, depending on the witness, it can be pretty tidily done on the witness stand with a good cross-examination so long as defense counsel has done adequate research. I’ve done that with an expert witness a time or two, including some that have done forensic work for the FBI. You just have to do your homework and know how solid your scientific footing is going in…and be very through, methodical, and clear in your questioning and ask adequate follow-up questions.
The cross-examination that Fitz did, for example, of the Libby memory expert was a textbook expert cross-examination on their ground, just as one example that folks might be familiar with here…
Steve-AR:
I was envisioning a website entry: FBI reports bullet lead analysis is discredited, in which case defense lawyer could just subpoena someone from FBI.
cleter @ 15
number three should be number one
I would also ask something referring to the president unilaterally redefining the terms of treaties other administrations assigned America’s integrity
for instance;
‘we know one of the most important tools toward national security is the ability to broker a treaty in good faith.
what do you think of a president that will ignore or redefines treaties that this president put his signature?”
I’m sure someone can word that better then me but you get the idea
speaking of criminals – thanks everyone, for helping me out on my Kos diary. It ran up and rang the bell at #2 for awhile…
lotta Californians still don’t know about this larceny and awareness goes a long ways.
Thank you for your help!
Roger at 44 — Welcome to legal training 101, where you learn to divorce your digust over individuals that you have to deal with in the day to day from your analytical abilities to pull in arguments you need and discard those that are not useful. Advancing your arguments becomes the paramount concern…it’s all in the training, I suppose.
Does anyone know why the ‘refresh comments’ button sometimes disappears & how to get it back, instead of having do do a hard refresh every time?
Wait a minute. They were hiding this info while running out the clock on the defendant’s appeals? Holy crap! That’s low. (So much to read today, haven’t hit that one yet.) As hard as the courts have been on deadlines for appeals, behavior like this is plain evil.
GSD @ 46
I like this talking point, it gives them an excuse to bring our boys and girls home where they belong
I’m gonna let them get away with that talking point until our armed forces are safe and back
don’t forget, their mission WAS accomplished, they did everything that can be asked of our armed forces, they over threw and deposed saddam and they found out whether or not there were wmd’s
they are not an occupying force, they are not diplomats, their mission was accomplished a long time ago
eCAHNomics @ 52
I don’t get that very often, but I quit the browser completely and then begin again…
eCAHNomics @ 52
yes, there are technical obstructions called “gnomes’
gnomes exist in the alternate universe known as “the tubes”, since they don’t exist in our universe we cannot track them or do anything about them
refresh and be happy, gnomes are just having fun with you, they are kind of cute, they never curse so try not to curse at them cuase that will get them to be more mischievous
CHS
I’m surprised you didn’t include the NYT article on how the death penalty saves lives:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11…..er.html?hp
Now I’ve done enough regression analysis in my life to run out of degrees of freedom, so I have a pretty good idea of the kind of analysis that lies behind this story. If I’m right, then there’s no way that there is good enough data to disentangle all the multiple causes of reductions in murder. But this is something that the wingnutes will run with.
james k. sayre @ 45
Does her voting record support the “Corporate Hillary” meme? Why does she receive poor ratings from C of C and The National Asso O Manufactures and is highly rated by Unions? She is also ranked as the #1 Senator for voting against corporate subsidies. I guess Hillary could be doing an elaborate “fake out” and she really is a corporate hack.
eCAHN — Haven’t seen that one as yet.
perris @ 56
tee hee hee hee!
Christy Hardin Smith @ 47
I agree it is very do-able. Still, how many people charged with a felony involving a firearm can afford that kind of defense? The deck is stacked.
edit..I read recently that of the inmates freed from death row by The Innocence Project; misconduct by the prosecutor was found in 78% of the cases. A very sobering statistic.
Sorry, eCAHN, we gnomes get carried away from time to time.
Steve at 61 — Well, I used to do it as Court-appointed counsel for a lot of my clients when I was in private practice, so anyone with a competent attorney who takes his/her job seriously can pretty much get that…I know it isn’t everyone, but since you generally only hear about the hack attorneys who don’t do their jobs in news reports, it is actually a fairly common practice that good attorneys try to do their jobs well. *g*
perris @ 56
True story:
My first job in economics was in 1969, working for a Harvard prof who incorporated a company at the end of that year. We had an on-line economics database & an econometric model. Had to hook up by remote terminals (typing 10 char/sec) to a Burroughs computer. An aspect of the Burroughs operating system was that any user could communicate with the person who was operating it by typing a question mark followed by your query, which would then be typed on the operators terminal. However, if you just typed a question mark with no message, you got back: “I am the genie of the disk. What is your command?” We got our first client about mid-1970, and when someone from there first got the message, called up and was beside himself: What is this? I thought this was a serious business., etc, etc” Of course, it was Burroughs, not us, who perpetrated that bit of whimsey.
Thought on GOTV meme:
Democracy, use it or lose it….
FWIW
OK folks. I went out & bought Shock Doctrine. Read 5 pages at lunch. Have to read some more before 5ET. See you then.
Waived sanctions against Saudi Arabia and Kuwait for trafficking in women and children.
“The President has determined to sanction Burma, Cambodia, Cuba, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), and Venezuela..The President also determined, consistent with the Act’s waiver authority, that provision of all bilateral and multilateral assistance to Ecuador, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia that otherwise would have been cut off would promote the purposes of the Act or is otherwise in the national interest of the United States.
The determinations also indicate the Secretary of State’s subsequent compliance determinations regarding Bolivia, Jamaica, Qatar, Sudan, Togo, and the United Arab Emirates. It is important that six of the fourteen Tier 3 countries took actions that averted the need for the President to make a determination regarding sanctions and waivers.
Section 110(d)(1)(B) of the Act interferes with the President’s authority to direct foreign affairs. We, therefore, interpret it as precatory.”
[Legalese Comment: “precatory” adj. referring to a wish or advisory suggestion which does not have the force of a demand or a request which under the law must be obeyed. In other words Bush is saying he won’t treat the law as law…but will do it simply because he feels like it.]
I’d also point out that Hughes, in such right wing Journals as National Review and Frontpage Magazine constantly rants about the “Islamists” who are involved in such “sex trafficking” but never seems to note that Bush himself has “waived” penalizing the most extreme of the regimes she vilifies. Instead she goes before the “true believers” at David Horowitz’s “Islamofascism” conference and selectively attacks Islamic nations for attacks against women.
Even stranger is her efforts to defend Christian Fundamentalism
“The Christian Right is a political movement of conservative Christians. They may have political and social views and goals that you may not agree with but they operate within a democratic framework. To influence policy and laws, they use their rights as citizens to form advocacy organizations, lobby, and vote. When adherents to these views resort to violence, such as the bombing of abortion clinics, it is treated as an act of violence, and the perpetrators are arrested and punished. And most leaders of Christian Right organizations condemn these acts of political violence.
I’ve never heard a Christian fundamentalist call for the take over of the U.S. government by radical preachers or priests, or have Christian or Biblical law replace the U.S. Constitution.
That’s the difference between Christian fundamentalism and Islamic fundamentalism: One respects democracy, fundamental rights and freedoms, and the democratic process, the other doesn’t, and its goal is to destroy democracy, freedom, and the democratic process.”
Ahem! This woman needs to look a little deeper at the goals of the Discovery Institute, and the a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Reconstructionism”>Christian Reconstructionists
Christy Hardin Smith @ 63
Maybe my pessimism is based on the horror stories of over worked under funded public defender offices in big cities. I have been on jury duty for 3 months and I have been impressed by the quality of the defense atty’s. (One case drugs and guns the other child rape..neither defendant (my guess) could pay for their lawyers.
This was in our local news:
Melbourne (FL) attorney Albert Lagano has been disbarred for 10 years by the Florida Supreme Court for improperly taking more than $1 million from his trust fund. (Real estate down payments held in trust)
Christy or any lawyer, does it suprise you that he was only disbarred for 10 years?
Sandman at 70 — Around here, that would be grounds for permanent disbarment, potentially. But I don’t practice in FL, so I have no idea what their state bar ethics precedents are like and whether that is normal, whether this particular case had exacerbating or mitigating circumstances or anything else. It’s tough to say with only those facts laid out without knowing all the aprticulars of the case, to be honest, and it would be unfair to second guess that particular state bar without knowing all the facts, including whether mental illness entered into the mix, whether it was a young lawyer who had little experience dealing with this, whether he was inadequately advised by another professional, etc., etc., etc.
But in WV, touching client money is a huge no no, that pretty much always leads to a very stiff sanction by our state bar, FWIW.
OT…
Take a feminist out to dinner.
That’s the advice of a social psychologist who concludes in a new study that feminists make better partners and have stronger romantic relationships.
link
Christy Hardin Smith @ 71
Thank you so much, hope the Peanut is felling better!
Believe it or not, just south of us in Vero Beach, FL, Lawyer (real estate) Ira Hatch is on the hook for $4 million, but is not charged with a crime, yet. On the other hand he can not come up with the $4 million, so it does not look good for him.
Christy at 41:
You have a point. Still, I question the editorial judgment of asking her to write about choosing judges with integrity and freedom from convlicts of interest. Isn’t that like asking Giuliani to write about marital fidelity or Mrs. Baron Hilton to write about parenthood?
Roger Bigod @ 74
For rethug-type voters, it may make them reconsider some things long and hard, if a judge, who threw an election over to a person of their party so brazenly, now calls for this sort of stuff.
I dunno. Mebbe it depends on how much kool-aid the person’s drunk, but there’s got to be plenty of rethug-voters who are really much more moderate than the crazy apeshits in office…
off for a drive, see everyone as night falls when naomi comes out to play
Steve-AR @ 72
yeah, but be careful the first time you try the “bend over boyfriend” thing. It hurts. Trust me on this.
WASHINGTON – Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee rejects letting states decide whether to allow abortions, claiming the right to life is a moral issue not subject to multiple interpretations.
“It’s the logic of the Civil War,” Huckabee said Sunday, comparing abortion rights to slavery. “If morality is the point here, and if it’s right or wrong, not just a political question, then you can’t have 50 different versions of what’s right and what’s wrong.”
“For those of us for whom this is a moral question, you can’t simply have 50 different versions of what’s right,” he said on Fox News Sunday.
link
Just a little reminder to those who say “both parties are equally bad..I’m staying home or we need a third party” of what is at stake. A Republican President in ‘09 and Kiss Roe good-bye. 2-3 more young Federalist Society true believers on the SCOTUS..well just read SCOTUS history from ~1890 to 1935 to see what we are in for.
Some meddling goin on upstairs:
http://www.firedoglake.com/200…..y/#respond
Christy Hardin Smith @ 11
I have a friend who is considering a run for family court judge here in north-central WV. Outside interventions and special interest money aren’t a concern for family court, are they? I hope I’m not being naive.
Today I am less concerned about jusiicial elections than I was yesterday. Judges are elected in NC and one of my best friends from college has chosen to run for the NC State Supreme Court.
Suzanne is a law professor at Wake Forest and the expert on family law in NC. There is currently no one serving on the state supreme court who has any expertise in this area.
Suzanne Reynolds for Supreme Court
Suzanne in her own words
That she has chosen to do this gives me newfound hope for our judicial possibilites. I cried from joy last night when I learned she’s running. She is simply the finest combination of intellect, character and kindness I have ever know in one person.
NC firepups — we need this woman on the bench.
Yes, Christy, the election process does have its problems. Even worse, however, is the system of Barr association appointments. Of the lawyer, by the lawyer, so that patronage does not perish from this earth….
There is no good answer while lawyers feel they own the law. Until Judges are elected from real people, instead of prosecutors seeking a promotion, the whole system is going to continue to sink. The law is too important to be lefy to the lawyers.
Fern @ 9
O’Conner was referring to states that elect judges (as opposed to merit selection), Fern, where often and inevitably a judge feels obligated to pay back people who funded his or her election and helped them get there and often does just that.
Often the governor appoints them when there is a vacancy , but they have to stand for election after so many years.
The elections are increasingly costing millions of dollars in some states.
O’Conner has written a number of articles arguing judges should not be elected, and she’s in the cat bird seat, since her swing vote appointed the current “President” Busharraf after he lost the popular election.
Hanging chads, and all that and eight years later the “Britney-OJ presient US” has done nothing significant to stop hackable voting machines or to guarantee accurate elections as it drifts further and further into Bannana Republic Fascism propelled by gutless “Democrats” and cookie cutter Republican zealots who will probably get Telco Immunity and other totalitarian aspects of the PAA passed before Christmas.
The 2008 elections that are superficially covered by individuals like Tweety Bird Mathews when MSNBC isn’t fascinated by OJ, Britney, and Barry Bonds’ case that is eminently defensible given the enormously vague questions DOJ is using to allege purgery.
The Federalist Society has been cloning Right Wing Fascists to get onto the federal bench, and they already have four of them who have fat butts on the Supreme Court.
Roberts Age 52
Alito 57
Scalia Age 71
Thomas 59
Justices Who are not Right Winged Fascists and in fact have scores of Admirable Traits
John Paul Stevens Age 87
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Age 74
Steven Breyer Age 69
David Souter Age 68
Justice Who Can Be Swung to Be a Right Winged Fascist with Increasing Frequency:
Anthony Kennedy Age 71
Federalist Society members have helped wreck the current DOJ creating a Rachel Pauloseesque atmosphere systemically and an environment where the FBI has faked evidence in over 2500 cases, and are succeeding admirably at getting increasing numbers into the ranks of trial and appellate justices –usually as part of package deals where Democrats keep quiet and let them through as occurred a couple weeks ago and will occur in the next few weeks.
One such deal was the October 24 confirmation of Leslie Southwick, an eggregious individual subbed for the failed Pickering seat on the 5th Circuit bench, after the gutless Democarts helped to invoke cloture.
Nine Democrats and Senator Joseph I. Lieberman-Busherman, an independent (Republican lickass) from Connecticut, joined the Senate’s 49 Republicans in voting for confirmation
Christy @61:
edit..I read recently that of the inmates freed from death row by The Innocence Project; misconduct by the prosecutor was found in 78% of the cases. A very sobering statistic.
Equally sobering are the prosecutors, and their groupies, governments, county managers, DAs, ADAs, who absolutely oppose any DNA testing on cases where it wasn’t available and the only “evidence” was a faulty eye witness account and the high number of cases where the “evidence” was lost (intentionally in a number of cases) by the DA’s office so there is nothing left to test.