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Tue 5 Jun, 2007 01:57 pm
WASHINGTON - Former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison Tuesday for lying and obstructing the
CIA leak investigation.
Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President
Dick Cheney, stood calmly before a packed courtroom as a federal judge said the evidence overwhelmingly proved his guilt and left the courthouse without commenting.
"People who occupy these types of positions, where they have the welfare and security of nation in their hands, have a special obligation to not do anything that might create a problem," U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton said.
Walton did not set a date for Libby to report to prison. Though he saw no reason to let Libby remain free pending appeal, Walton said he would accept written arguments on the issue and rule later.
Deputy White House press secretary Dana Perino, accompanying
President Bush on Air Force One from the Czech Republic to Germany Tuesday, told reporters that Bush "felt terrible for the family, especially for his wife and kids."
She said Bush would comment no further on the case at this time.
Got him in the can at last.
Looks like Scooter will serve some time. The judge is not likely to grant bond while an appeal is filed.
There is a lot of scuttlebutt in my local rag about Bush possibly pardoning him. To do so, IMO would be a travesty.
Well I feel sorry for his wife and kids too but if you do the crime you should pay the time. I hope President Bush does not give him a pardon.
Scooter
Scooter got his knickers twisted because he arrogantly thought he and his ilk were above the law.
BBB
Phoenix32890 I am slightly confused on your post. You quoted me and I am not quite sure why since I feel there should not be a pardon.
Phoenix32890 wrote:TTH wrote:Well I feel sorry for his wife and kids too but if you do the crime you should pay the time. I hope President Bush does not give him a pardon.
I am sure that there are many men in jails with wives, kids, sick mothers and lonely pets. That is not a reason for absolving a person from taking his just punishment.
That certainly isn't a reason in Scooter's case, but I disagree that it's never the case.
I served on a jury in which an illegal from Mexico chose to drink 21 beers and then go for a drive (on the wrong side of the road) resulting in a head-on collision which in turn changed the lives of the family in the other car forever (grandmother blinded, 2-year old's chest crushed). The prosecutors wanted to throw the book at him, but we gave him probation because he had a wife and 3 teenagers to support (with the provision that if he was caught driving drunk again he'd serve out his 10-year prison sentence, period).
HokieBird wrote:I served on a jury in which an illegal from Mexico chose to drink 21 beers and then go for a drive (on the wrong side of the road) resulting in a head-on collision which in turn changed the lives of the family in the other car forever (grandmother blinded, 2-year old's chest crushed). The prosecutors wanted to throw the book at him, but we gave him probation because he had a wife and 3 teenagers to support (with the provision that if he was caught driving drunk again he'd serve out his 10-year prison sentence, period).
Since when does a jury do the sentencing for a crime? That is what the judge does. All a jury does is find the person innocent or guilty. The judge sentences the person.
Bush has to pardon him. You all can continue to think with your emotions but this isn't a right/wrong issue. It's a political issue. Bush had to pardon him or risk his other allies turning on him for fear their butt isn't covered.
bush has gotten away with it and will leave office scott free, unaccountable and filthy rich. WTF does he care about political allies?
Bi-Polar Bear wrote:bush has gotten away with it and will leave office scott free, unaccountable and filthy rich. WTF does he care about political allies?
Oh I am sure he is already rich
He will get pardoned. I'm so sure he'll be pardoned that if he doesn't, I promise to take a belt sander to my own nipples until they are nothing but raw, pink, wet patches on my chest.
TTH wrote:Since when does a jury do the sentencing for a crime? That is what the judge does. All a jury does is find the person innocent or guilty. The judge sentences the person.
HokieBird wrote:Not everywhere.
Since the topic is dealing with the USA that is what I was referring to.
TTH wrote:Since when does a jury do the sentencing for a crime?
it appears they do in U.S. death penalty cases
Quote:In a bifurcated trial, the jury would first determine guilt or innocence, and then, if the defendant were found guilty, the appropriate sentence, a life term or death.
U.S. courts link
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