Libby Pleads Not Guilty

Fox News ^ | 11-3-05 | Fox News

[Binkmeister]

I did not know Bush officials had a right to a fair trial. Hasn't Libby et al been convicted already by the New York Times and CNN?

[Binkmeister]

I did not know Bush officials had a right to a fair trial. Hasn't Libby et al been convicted already by the New York Times and CNN?

[lilylangtree]

Yep! Bush people never get fair trials.

[domenad]

That's some sloppy reporting, I believe. It should read "speedy trial", a right that is waived quite frequently by defendants.

[hsalaw]

Many thanks to you and Fox for a good, hearty laugh. Bush administration members indeed are not entitled to a fair trial. But I think what Libby waived was the right to a speedy trial, not a fair trial.

[Chairman_December_19th_Society]

Yep, but it's in print, right from the AP (the speedy trial thing may have been right, but to me this shows how they really think...):

"WASHINGTON — Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff pleaded not guilty before a federal judge Thursday and waived his right to a fair trial relating to the leak of a covert CIA operative's identity."

[balch3]

Good move. Drag it out as long as possible until after the elections, and then let President Bush pardon him. Take that, RATS!

[Chairman_December_19th_Society]

Fox

Fox is carrying an AP (i.e., liberal) story...

[p23185]

I did not know Bush officials had a right to a fair trial. Hasn't Libby et al been convicted already by the New York Times and CNN?

Yes I heard the Err America yokels yammering on about indictment=guilty as charged, and there are many more in the white house that need to be indicted (i.e. guilty and frogged march off to prison). They are even planning on how to initiate WAR CRIMES after the impeachment and indictments. We don't need no trials!! /sarcasm

[Chairman_December_19th_Society]

Verdict first, trial afterwards...

[Brilliant]

"WASHINGTON — Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff pleaded not guilty before a federal judge Thursday and waived his right to a fair trial relating to the leak of a covert CIA operative's identity."


At the end of the article, it says that the AP contributed to the article. I'm guessing that was the part they contributed.

[js1138]

Verdict first, trial afterwards...

French justice.

[CedarDave]

Someone get a screen capture of that page for future use before its corrected. It's too good to let it slip by.

[edcoil]

How does one plead non guilty and then "waived his right to a fair trial"?

He said he would not do this in the press but in the judical system.

Seems pleading not guilty means you are forcing a trial.

[Brilliant]

Like one of the other posters said, I think it should read "speedy trial".

[MilleniumBug]

Somebody is confused here. What libby waived is a speedy trial. A speedy trial is fast, a fair trial is very, very expensive because the government has so much money to burn. Got to have a big fan to blow away the government smoke.

Why get hung quickly?

[Chairman_December_19th_Society]

What libby waived is a speedy trial.

We know. But it's not what the AP wrote. They really did write the thing about waiving a fair trial. :)

Here, first para.

LOL!

[AFPhys]

From Reuters: ... Cheney aide pleads not guilty, court battle looms
By Adam Entous and James Vicini

WASHINGTON, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Vice President Dick Cheney's former aide, Lewis Libby, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges in the CIA leak probe, and his lawyer promised a fight to clear his name in a trial that could put a spotlight on how the Bush administration made its case for the Iraq war.

"With respect, your honor, I plead not guilty," Libby told federal Judge Reggie Walton after being asked what plea he would enter to the charges during a 10-minute arraignment.

Walton, who did not schedule a trial date, set the next hearing in the case for Feb. 3. Lawyers warned the case could be bogged down for months in a court fight over classified documents underpinning the charges.

Cheney and other top White House officials could be called to testify at a trial and Libby faces a maximum sentence of up to 30 years in prison.

Libby resigned last week as Cheney's longtime chief of staff after he was indicted on five counts of obstructing justice, perjury and lying in the two-year investigation into the leak of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity.

Plame's identity was leaked to the media in July 2003 after her diplomat husband, Joseph Wilson, accused the Bush administration of twisting intelligence on weapons of mass destruction to justify the war in Iraq.

Newly hired defense lawyer Theodore Wells promised a vigorous court battle.

"He (Libby) has declared that he intends to fight the charges in the indictment and he has declared that he wants to clear his good name and he wants a jury trial," Wells told reporters after Libby was fingerprinted and had his picture taken by marshals at the federal courthouse.

Before any trial, Libby could still try to cut a deal with special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald to plead guilty to lesser charges and cooperate in the investigation, though Wells appeared to play down that possibility in his comments.

President George W. Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove, was not indicted on Friday along with Libby. But lawyers involved in the case said Rove remained under investigation and may still be charged in the case. Fitzgerald is expected to inform Rove of his decision in coming weeks.

Libby's indictment was a damaging blow to the White House, which was already reeling from the mounting U.S. death toll in the Iraq war, the bungled response to Hurricane Katrina and the withdrawal of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers under fire from Bush's conservative power base.

PROMINENT LAWYER

Hours before his arraignment, Libby overhauled his defense team, bringing in Wells, who is known for his trial work and has defended former Agriculture Secretary Michael Espy, former Labor Secretary Raymond Donovan, former Sen. Robert Torricelli and financier Michael Milken.

Libby also brought in Washington lawyer William Jeffress, who is also known for white-collar criminal defense work.

Lawyers close to the case said Libby's last-minute decision to bring in a high-profile defense team was a sign that he was preparing to go to trial rather than cut a deal.

Libby walked into the courthouse near the U.S. Capitol using crutches because of a foot injury. His wife whispered in his ear and gave him a light pat on the bottom before Libby took his chair and the judge entered the courtroom.

Fitzgerald estimated that it would take his team of prosecutors about two weeks to present its case at trial.

Before any trial, Jeffress told the judge, there "may be protracted litigation" about classified information and First Amendment issues. He did not elaborate.

After the hearing, Jeffress declined to say how long a trial might take. "It's too early to say," he told reporters. "I'm not worried about anything at this point."

Wells added, with a touch of irony in his voice, "Two week trial. OK."

Libby waived his right to a speedy trial, and Wells during the hearing called it a "complex case." He said the earliest the defense team would get clearance for classified material will be in 60 days, and then they will start to go through a "significant volume of documents."

The judge said he wanted the case resolved as expeditiously as possible.

As Libby made his way out of the courthouse, followed by a crowd of reporters and television cameras, one onlooker shouted "Guilty, Guilty, Guilty."

I just loved the sardonic comment by Wells... I would have loved to hear that in person... "2 wks ... yeah --- riiiight ..."

[hsalaw]

I just sent an e-mail to Fox suggesting they fact-check any cr*p they get from the AP, who are known liars.

[TomGuy]

[CedarDave]

Thanks much for that screen capture, TomGuy. I can't believe it, but the original is still up on the FOX news site!