Jump! Photo by Mickey Rito, August 30, 1964.
Onlookers watch a man on a ledge near the top of the Morrison Hotel threaten to jump.
"They were disappointed," wrote the photographer. "He surrendered to the police."
.
Posted on 07/02/2007 2:45:21 PM PDT by ConservativeMan55
Edited on 07/02/2007 3:05:31 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Foxnews alert.. libby sentence commuted
*********
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
The United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit today rejected Lewis Libby’s request to remain free on bail while pursuing his appeals for the serious convictions of perjury and obstruction of justice. As a result, Mr. Libby will be required to turn himself over to the Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his prison sentence.
I have said throughout this process that it would not be appropriate to comment or intervene in this case until Mr. Libby’s appeals have been exhausted. But with the denial of bail being upheld and incarceration imminent, I believe it is now important to react to that decision.
From the very beginning of the investigation into the leaking of Valerie Plame’s name, I made it clear to the White House staff and anyone serving in my administration that I expected full cooperation with the Justice Department. Dozens of White House staff and administration officials dutifully cooperated.
After the investigation was under way, the Justice Department appointed United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Patrick Fitzgerald as a Special Counsel in charge of the case. Mr. Fitzgerald is a highly qualified, professional prosecutor who carried out his responsibilities as charged.
This case has generated significant commentary and debate. Critics of the investigation have argued that a special counsel should not have been appointed, nor should the investigation have been pursued after the Justice Department learned who leaked Ms. Plame’s name to columnist Robert Novak. Furthermore, the critics point out that neither Mr. Libby nor anyone else has been charged with violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act or the Espionage Act, which were the original subjects of the investigation. Finally, critics say the punishment does not fit the crime: Mr. Libby was a first-time offender with years of exceptional public service and was handed a harsh sentence based in part on allegations never presented to the jury.
Others point out that a jury of citizens weighed all the evidence and listened to all the testimony and found Mr. Libby guilty of perjury and obstructing justice. They argue, correctly, that our entire system of justice relies on people telling the truth. And if a person does not tell the truth, particularly if he serves in government and holds the public trust, he must be held accountable. They say that had Mr. Libby only told the truth, he would have never been indicted in the first place.
Both critics and defenders of this investigation have made important points. I have made my own evaluation. In preparing for the decision I am announcing today, I have carefully weighed these arguments and the circumstances surrounding this case.
Mr. Libby was sentenced to thirty months of prison, two years of probation, and a $250,000 fine. In making the sentencing decision, the district court rejected the advice of the probation office, which recommended a lesser sentence and the consideration of factors that could have led to a sentence of home confinement or probation.
I respect the jury’s verdict. But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive. Therefore, I am commuting the portion of Mr. Libby’s sentence that required him to spend thirty months in prison.
My decision to commute his prison sentence leaves in place a harsh punishment for Mr. Libby. The reputation he gained through his years of public service and professional work in the legal community is forever damaged. His wife and young children have also suffered immensely. He will remain on probation. The significant fines imposed by the judge will remain in effect. The consequences of his felony conviction on his former life as a lawyer, public servant, and private citizen will be long-lasting.
The Constitution gives the President the power of clemency to be used when he deems it to be warranted. It is my judgment that a commutation of the prison term in Mr. Libby’s case is an appropriate exercise of this power.
“They said this isn’t a pardon.. but rather commuting the sentence”
If Fred Thompson wins, he’ll give him a full pardon.
No it came from a Republican that is about to become an independent .
You WISH it was from the DU, the truth is there are still some Republicans that believe in the constitution and the rule of law, I am not a Bush groupie or a republican groupie, I am a citizen that wants good conservative government, neither of which Bush has delivered
Got that spot on - their actions have nothing, zero, zot to do with right, justice or human decency. They are MAD for power - TOTAL power - go ahead, folks, let the libRats back in. We will ALL be subject to witch hunts without defense
Nice shirt - and it ‘fits’!
Just got out of the shower and decontamination room. I donned my HASMAT suit, but it didn’t keep all of the filth and vexatious bile off. Those folks at DU are a hateful bunch. There is not a sentence of moderation or information....just hate.
I read the thread.
Wonderful news, you can bet the dems will be foaming at the mouth over this!
Would the President now direct his attention to the pardons(not commutations) of certain border agents?
He was sentenced according to the FEDERAL SENTENCING GUIDELINES by a Republican judge
He sure did look awfully happy if it is supposed to be a bad deal! Could you explain why you think it is a bad deal?
The appeal may well be successful. The appellate court now has the President decreeing that this federal judge was seriously out of line. The trial court’s pronouncements were often political, and the entire saga is unprecedented.
Sometimes a reviewing court just says “bullshit”-and then writes an opinion to wrap that conclusion in eloquence.
NO - it was what Libby wanted ATT so's he would have a chance to appeal and clear his name altogether = A full pardon now would mean no right to appeal - and branded guilty forever...
Well maybe Bush will full pardon at the end of his term if the appeals court upholds the rest of it, the decent thing to do.
Jump! Photo by Mickey Rito, August 30, 1964.
Onlookers watch a man on a ledge near the top of the Morrison Hotel threaten to jump.
"They were disappointed," wrote the photographer. "He surrendered to the police."
.
The media and the Dems are going nuts over this....and FRED being a Scooter supporter will suffer the wrath of many once he declares for POTUS.
It doesn’t look good, but perhaps this will die down as time passes.
The Appeals Court forced his hand today and he did the right thing.
Nobody need be a Bush fan, just not freakin’ deranged as basically your own words showed. I call em each as I see em. Whether it be in regard to his policies or your derangement. And I’ve supported and do support Duncan Hunter along with the very earliest ones to do so. Way before he even announced.
Duncan Hunter is a good example for you. He disagrees with the President but is fair and respectful and measured. Where he can he gives the President kudos and in no way blames him for everything because he’s got all his marbles and knows better. I’m REAL SAFE with DH as a role model for disagreeing but remaining fair, just and balanced.
So your words role off me. Like I said look in your own mirror.
Bush didn’t cause me or DH to go over the edge and he didn’t cause you to, either.
i’m just a glutton for punishment...hahahaha
it is nice to see some saner heads taking a stand against the BBS/IDS crowd.
You should go over to her site and read what she and her troopers have to say about this! Its humorous. I will admit, EW keeps clean commentary, I didn’t see any of the kind of language I read about that DUers are posting. (At least there were no four letter words last time I checked over there). But they are unhappy campers. HA.
I can’t see why I should oppose the President for this. Libby still gets a $250,000.00 fine and 2 years probation. This is not a pardoning like Ford gave to Nixon in the 70s.
And for these wild Dems seeing red over this, where was your indignation with Bill Clinton in the 1990s? Perjury is a federal crime that deserves punishment, no matter what the motivation behind it is, yet these same Dems refused to allow him to be punished in 1999. So their hypocrisy is just ludicrous.
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.