Posted on 02/10/2006 10:14:18 PM PST by SmithL
San Francisco -- Lawyers for a death row inmate, including former Whitewater independent counsel Kenneth Starr, sent fake letters from jurors asking California's governor to spare the man's life, prosecutors said Friday.
The jurors denied they thought Michael Morales deserved clemency because some of the testimony at his trial may have been fabricated, said Nathan Barankin, spokesman for Attorney General Bill Lockyer.
"We showed each person the declaration on their behalf and they all said they didn't say that," Barankin said.
San Joaquin County prosecutor Charles Schultz also said the letters sent to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last week were "untrue" and "pure fiction."
Starr was not immediately available for comment, said a spokeswoman for the Pepperdine School of Law, where Starr is the dean.
Morales' other clemency attorney, David Senior from Los Angeles, said he stood by the validity of the six sworn statements he and Starr sent to the governor.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
I'm not sure, but based on the sketchy facts of this article, Starr may have just been an aggregating point for juror letters that were supposedly made under oath.
Starr might have then just forwarded the letters on in good faith reliance on those oaths, without necessarily advocating for the prisoner.
Individuals will often deny in private, what they have expressed in interaction as a group. It's a 'herd instinct' / 'safety in numbers' kind of thing.
Something that purports to be a letter from a juror had better be just that.
I never felt like that question was answered back when he was a Special Prosecutor.
The guy has been an enigma to me all along. More sizzle than steak.
WTF is going on with Starr?
What's there to be surprised about? Starr botched the Clinton impeachment.
He's the dean of a law school. I doubt he has spent any time on this case other than sign papers prepared by his law students.
and so what does your post mean? that he should be given a pass? i dont think so, he is involved and the buck stops there. hes a lawyer for heavens sake, what else can be expected of that species?
Didn't that idiot Souter say a lawyer wsa supposed to lie to get "threat of death penalty" clients off the hook, er, needle?
BREAKING NEWS!
"This just in: heinous murderers have also been known to lie, cheat, and commit forgery when convenient for their purposes."
Kathleen Culhane, the San Francisco private investigator who Starr and Senior said had interviewed the jurors, declined to comment.
I think you got it right, martin.
KFI's (AM640 in L.A.) "John & Ken Show" had taped an interview with one of the jurors the day before this broke to air this afternoon (Saturday).
She is allegedly one who had supposedly signed her name now asking for clemency. In previewing clips yesterday on air, she was most definitely defensive about upholding the jury's original decision for death citing other witnesses and detailing circumstances.
The AG's office phoned and got a copy of the interview pre-broadcast and it's under seal.
We have a winner
If that is true then Starr should say so immediately. Something stinks in this report. I never take anything for face value from the AP.
<< What's there to be surprised about? Starr botched the Clinton impeachment. >>
Botched?
Impeached is impeached.
In other words, Miss Kathleen is probably anti-death penalty...and got caught promoting her own agenda.
Presumably, California licenses PI and this will be sufficient cause to pull hers.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45287
Ken Starr legacy.
<< Ken Starr legacy. >>
No such thing.
Just another episode in the Cli'ton Crime Family's Legacy Project's Nuts and Sluts Saga.
Judge Starr is a nut and a slut and therefore the Cli'ton Impeachment is invalid.
Not.
Are you paid by Cli'ton Inc to promulgate the vilification of Judge Starr?
Or are you a fellow traveller, a willing volunteer or a useful idiot?
Or just a dupe?
[And Cli'ton, despite his gang's having wilfully thrown the investigators the red Lewinsky herring and thanks entirely to Judge Starr, who did as good a job as might have been expected of a decent man, a lawyer with no prosecutorial background, is still impeached]
Billy-Bubbah Blythe: [AKA "Clinton"] Impeached.
Are you kidding? Starr is the guy that Clinton hired to investigate Whitewater. That alone shows that Clinton considered him incompetent.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.