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Citing no reliability, Morales lawyers withdraw juror statements
AP ^ | 2/13/6 | DAVID KRAVETS

Posted on 02/13/2006 3:34:17 PM PST by SmithL

San Francisco -- Former Whitewater independent counsel Kenneth Starr and a Los Angeles attorney said Monday they would withdraw unreliable affidavits from jurors submitted to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as part of a bid to spare a murderer and rapist from execution.

The documents supporting clemency for Michael Morales purportedly made by six trial jurors were denounced by prosecutors Friday as forgeries, but the defense team stood by them until Monday when they said they would withdraw five of the six.

In a letter to Attorney General Bill Lockyer, attorney David Senior said he and Starr were "withdrawing any and all reliance on any exhibits generated" by one of their investigators.

Kathleen Culhane, the San Francisco investigator who interviewed the jurors, did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment.

Another statement purportedly taken from Morales' former Stockton roommate and submitted to the California Supreme Court, requires "further investigation," Senior wrote.

State prosecutor Keith Borjon told the high court that he considered Senior's letter "a concession that forged and fabricated documents have, in fact, been presented to this court and to the governor's office."

Neither Senior nor Starr, now dean of Pepperdine School of Law, was immediately available for comment.

Morales, 46 of Stockton was convicted in 1983 of murdering Terri Winchell, 17, who was found beaten, stabbed and raped in a secluded San Joaquin County vineyard.

Morales is scheduled to die Feb. 21 in San Quentin State Prison.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: davidsenior; deathpenalty; kathleenculhane; kenstarr; morales; schwarzenegger; terriwinchell
Now that this silliness is behind us, go ahead and Tookie him!
1 posted on 02/13/2006 3:34:18 PM PST by SmithL
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To: SmithL
Kathleen Culhane, the San Francisco investigator who interviewed the jurors, did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment.

Sounds as if the trouble spot may be here. The earlier article persuaded me that the affidavits were probably false, but I can't imagine Ken Starr doing it on purpose.

2 posted on 02/13/2006 3:40:18 PM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: SmithL

How embarassing. Starr should be blushing non stop for the next 6 months.


3 posted on 02/13/2006 3:41:07 PM PST by DManA
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To: SmithL

Kenneth Starr, either through connivance or sheer incompetence, let Billary walk away from what should have been a life in prison.


4 posted on 02/13/2006 3:45:08 PM PST by iPod Shuffle
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To: SmithL

Ken Starr was a loser from beginning to end , His Whitewater investigation was as big a waste of time and money as Fitzgeralds. Ken Starrs investigative talents are very limited ,in fact he couldnt find his rectum after investigating with both hands and a flashlight.


5 posted on 02/13/2006 3:45:10 PM PST by sgtbono2002
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To: SmithL
I agree. I'm not surprised defenders of a child rapist/murderer would drag the gutter to get their client off. What's really stunning is how quickly their case for clemency collapsed.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

6 posted on 02/13/2006 3:47:45 PM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: Cicero
...did not immediately return phone calls ...

It's been about a week now and I haven't seen a single comment from her.
I think she isn't returning calls at all.

7 posted on 02/13/2006 3:48:29 PM PST by calcowgirl
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To: iPod Shuffle

Ken Starr did not let Bill Clinton walk. The U.S. House of Representatives impeached Bill Clinton based on the case built by Ken Starr. The U.S. Senate, led by the Chief Justice, decided from the beginning to not let Starr put on a case or call the appropriate witnesses. NOT STARR'S FAULT!


8 posted on 02/13/2006 3:54:14 PM PST by the_Watchman
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To: the_Watchman

Why wont people say that hes just a weak powder puff lawyer.


9 posted on 02/13/2006 5:43:26 PM PST by samadams2000 (Remember our Founding Fathers were REAL men- Unlike today's Rinos)
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To: calcowgirl

After this scandal, she's probably on the lam.


10 posted on 02/13/2006 5:56:39 PM PST by newzjunkey (In 2006: Reelect Arnold; Get GOP Elected in CA; Halt W's Amnesty for Illegals. Win in Iraq.)
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To: samadams2000

Why should people say something that is not supported by the facts? Nobody could have convicted in the Senate. It was a political done deal.


11 posted on 02/13/2006 7:00:20 PM PST by the_Watchman
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