Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

CIA leak case turned over to jury
AP on Yahoo ^ | 2/21/07 | Matt Apuzzo - ap

Posted on 02/21/2007 10:16:25 AM PST by NormsRevenge

WASHINGTON - Jurors began deliberating Wednesday in the perjury and obstruction trial of former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.

Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, is charged with lying and obstructing the investigation into the 2003 leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity.

Jurors heard about an hour of legal instructions from U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton on Wednesday morning before beginning deliberations shortly before 11:30 a.m. They heard a full day of closing arguments Tuesday after a monthlong trial.

The jury of eight women and four men must be unanimous before returning a verdict on the five charges against Libby. He faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted, though he'd likely get far less under federal sentencing guidelines.

Plame is married to former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who emerged in mid-2003 as an outspoken critic of the Bush administration's case for the Iraq war. Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald says Libby learned about Plame from Cheney and other officials in June 2003 and relayed it to reporters.

Attorneys left jurors with two very different impressions of the case. Prosecutors described a methodical effort by Libby to conceal the fact that he discussed Plame with reporters in June 2003. Defense attorneys recounted a confusing, sometimes contradictory month of testimony that they believe is too shaky to base a conviction on.

Plame was outed by reporter Robert Novak, who touched off an FBI investigation with a July 2003 syndicated column. Though Libby wasn't Novak's source, prosecutors say he feared he'd be charged with discussing classified information with other reporters.

So, prosecutors say, Libby lied. He told investigators he learned about Plame from Cheney, then forgot about it until a month later, when he was surprised to hear it during a phone call with NBC's Tim Russert. Russert says the conversation about Plame didn't happen.

"It's simply not credible to believe he would forget this information about Wilson's wife," prosecutor Peter Zeidenberg said during closing arguments Tuesday. "It's ludicrous."

Libby's attorneys say it's the prosecution's story that doesn't make sense. Why, they ask, would Libby make up a story that hinges on Russert, someone Libby knew could be questioned?

And while prosecutors have shown that Plame came up in several conversations with government officials in mid-2003, defense attorneys say there's no proof Libby deliberately set out to lie when he spoke to investigators three months later.

"They haven't given you anything that says Mr. Libby didn't just have one of those moments that we all have in life where he thought something happened one way and it happened another," said defense attorney Theodore Wells.

Prosecutors used opening statements to remind jurors that one witness after another testified to discussing Plame with Libby. Zeidenberg pointed to a flow chart showing arrows tracking information from several officials to Libby and on to other sources. With each conversation, it became less likely the CIA operative would just slip Libby's mind, Zeidenberg said.

Wells presented a similar chart. Under each name and photograph, however, Wells noted their memory inconsistencies. Some changed their stories. Others seemed less certain in FBI interviews than they did on the stand.

Why is Mr. Libby being treated differently?" Wells told jurors. "He should not. Treat him fairly. Ask yourself: 'Did the government give me some evidence that he intentionally lied as opposed to, did he just forget?'"

___

Associated Press writer Michael J. Sniffen contributed to this report.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: cialeak; fitzfong; jury; plamegate; plamenameblamegame; scooterlibby; turnedover
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061 next last
Will the 'FitzFong' case 'Plame-out' with the jury?

Will Scooter ride FRee?

We need a pool..

Jury returns verdict (Yea or Nay) in so many days or hours .. or minutes.

--

I say

2 days 2 hours ,, give or take a couple hours.

1 posted on 02/21/2007 10:16:27 AM PST by NormsRevenge
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby, former chief of staff for Vice President Dick Cheney, arrives at U.S. Federal Court in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2007. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)


2 posted on 02/21/2007 10:17:29 AM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
CIA leak case turned over to jury

The case had nothing to do with any leak or any known crime.

3 posted on 02/21/2007 10:17:56 AM PST by Always Right
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald arrives at federal court for the perjury trial of Lewis 'Scooter' Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, in Washington February 20, 2007. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)


4 posted on 02/21/2007 10:18:22 AM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby (L) arrives with his wife, Harriet Grant at U.S. Federal Court in Washington on the first day of jury deliberation in his federal perjury trial, February 21, 2007. REUTERS/Larry Downing (UNITED STATES)


5 posted on 02/21/2007 10:19:29 AM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

Fitzys next career stop is Court TV.


6 posted on 02/21/2007 10:19:47 AM PST by AU72
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

That does not look like the face of a confident man.


7 posted on 02/21/2007 10:19:51 AM PST by massgopguy (I owe everything to George Bailey)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

I say we know by 5pm today. There is no case, and the jurors, no doubt, would like to be done with this.


8 posted on 02/21/2007 10:20:37 AM PST by NoBullZone (Attempting to dispel ... bull*hit)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

I think we should have a crack up pool for after the not guilty verdict...to see how long it takes Chris Matthews to lose control on air.


9 posted on 02/21/2007 10:21:26 AM PST by Dog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AU72

He dropped his case(s) against King Richie for this circus sideshow. Maybe he can get back to bagging REAL criminals.


10 posted on 02/21/2007 10:21:48 AM PST by yobid (A world without Islam is a world with peace)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

It will be a hung jury. There will be atleast one DU-type that will maintain Libby is guilty.


11 posted on 02/21/2007 10:22:47 AM PST by Always Right
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dog

Ive been working on this a while :


Libby Code:

If you take the first letters of the last words of the consecutive paragraphs starting with paragraph number 33 in Libby's Grand Jury testimony it clearly spells "ASPEN ROOTS"

and if you do the same thing starting with paragraph 206 it spells " ROVE IS DEAD"....

This is Freaky


Coincidence? I dont think so


12 posted on 02/21/2007 10:24:35 AM PST by woofie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Always Right

Late Friday afternoon is a good bet for a verdict as they consider another weekend stuck with other.


13 posted on 02/21/2007 10:25:08 AM PST by AU72
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: massgopguy
That does not look like the face of a confident man.

Yeah, Fritz should be scared. If he can't produce on this one, he probably not be able to keep milking this cash cow and will have to get a real job.

14 posted on 02/21/2007 10:25:28 AM PST by Always Right
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
Plame is married to former Ambassador Joseph Wilson

Did the AP just give Wilson a promotion? I believe he was never made an ambassador. He filled in as an "acting-ambassador" at one point in his career, if my memory is correct.

15 posted on 02/21/2007 10:29:29 AM PST by Titanites
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Always Right
On the other hand, Scooter looks like he had a Function Hall rented for the big acquittal party.
16 posted on 02/21/2007 10:29:38 AM PST by massgopguy (I owe everything to George Bailey)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
The jury of eight women and four men must be unanimous before returning a verdict on the five charges against Libby. He faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted, though he'd likely get far less under federal sentencing guidelines.

Well, let's see what precedents we have for sentencing...

Bill Clinton guilty of perjury...lost license to practice law for 5 years.

Sandy Burger, guilty of treason...no jail time, 100 hrs community service picking up trash, suspension of security clearance for 3 years (iirc).

Given these facts it seems that if sentencing were consistent, Libby might be sentenced to no Cable TV or computer for a month and not be allowed to use the word CIA for 5 years.

Of course the dems are such hypocrites on such things...I think they all should have the book thrown at them if they're guilty. Clinton put in prison for 30 years, Libby for 30 years and Burger hung.

17 posted on 02/21/2007 10:33:47 AM PST by highlander_UW (I don't know what my future holds, but I know Who holds my future)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
Will Scooter ride FRee? We need a pool..

Not with that jury. Scooter should never have been indicted in the first place but I'm afraid the jury will still find him guilty.

Six hours total deliberation.

18 posted on 02/21/2007 10:34:41 AM PST by pgkdan (Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions - G.K. Chesterton)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

I couldn't get passed the headline. What leak?


19 posted on 02/21/2007 10:36:47 AM PST by toddlintown (Six bullets and Lennon goes down. Yet not one hit Yoko. Discuss.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: woofie

Is that six degrees of Larry Johnson? s/


20 posted on 02/21/2007 10:39:41 AM PST by AliVeritas (Stop Global Dhimming. Demand testicular fortitude from the hill. Call the crusade.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson