Michigan Supreme Court justice charged with fraud (Dem)

Breitbart ^ | 1/19/2013 | ED WHITE Associated Press

[PapaBear3625]

Federal prosecutors have filed a fraud charge against Michigan Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway, just a few days before she leaves the state's highest court in a scandal involving the sale of a Detroit-area home and suspicious steps taken to conceal property in Florida.

[...]

Hathaway was halfway through an eight-year term on the court, the result of a major election upset over then-Chief Justice Cliff Taylor in 2008. Her victory put Democrats in control of the court for a two-year period. She was a Wayne County judge before joining the Supreme Court.

[justiceseeker93]

Usually the Obama “Justice” Department protects its own...some kind of screw-up.

You hit the nail on the head. And conversely, they have no hesitation to to go after Pubbies with full fury and indignation. That double standard is why we call it the Obama INJustice Department!!!

And speaking of fraud of all kinds (most importantly, in rigging elections, particularly the last presidential race), that's a cornerstone of the Democratic Party's program, policy, and power nationally.

[justiceseeker93]

That's probably why Holder's people did federal charges. It protects her from state charges (double jeopardy).

You are incorrect on that: the "double jeopardy" clause of the US Constitution does not protect the same individual from being prosecuted by both the federal and state governments on criminal charges arising from the same set of events. The US Supreme Court decided that in a landmark case in the 1950s, so, even though it may seem to be unjust, that's been accepted constitutional law since then.

IIRC, back in the 1990s, some police officer(s) involved in the Rodney King case were acquitted on California charges, but then charged by the feds for civil rights violations.

[doug from upland]

Holder may still protect her, but it is proper to file federal charges because this is a federal crime.

[cripplecreek]

the "double jeopardy" clause of the US Constitution does not protect the same individual from being prosecuted by both the federal and state governments on criminal charges arising from the same set of events.

True. I'm not going to hunt it down now but I know of a Detroit case where a man came home and found 3 people breaking into his house (for the 3rd time that week). The guy chased them and cornered 1 man in an alley and killed him.

The local judge was very lenient and gave the guy two years with the actual jail time amounting to some 6 months. The feds charged the guy and gave him 15. BTW, both the shooter and the deserving ammo receptacle were black.

[BohDaThone]

If your story is correct, the federal charge was probably felon in possesion (of a gun that had moved interstate). A pure murder not on fed or indian land wouldn’t be in fed court. Felon in possession, on the other hand, could be. And if many past offenses, he could get up to 15.

[editor-surveyor]

Filing state charges is not “double jeopardy” if there is a state statute that was violated.