Judge orders Ashcroft to explain his actions

Michigan Live.com ^ | 9/4/03

[areafiftyone]

DETROIT (AP) — Attorney General John Ashcroft has two weeks to explain why he should not be required to appear in court to tell why he violated a judge's gag order by commenting during this year's terrorism trial.

U.S. District Judge Gerald Rosen issued the 14-day directive on Friday in response to a motion filed by lawyers for three men who were convicted in June after the trial, the Detroit Free Press reported in a Thursday story.

The lawyers said Ashcroft's comments jeopardized their clients' fair trial rights.

A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment Wednesday on Rosen's 14-day directive.

Ashcroft is accused of violating Rosen's court order when he praised government informant Youssef Hmimssa during an April 17 news conference.

At the news conference, Ashcroft called Youssef Hmimssa's cooperation "a critical tool" in efforts to combat terrorism.

The Justice Department has said Ashcroft didn't intend to go against Rosen's gag order.

Hmimssa, 32, testified that the Detroit terrorism suspects tried to persuade him to join a plot to recruit, train and equip Muslim extremists to commit terrorism.

In a deal with prosecutors, Hmimssa pleaded guilty in April to credit-card and document fraud.

[bandleader]

I wonder who appointed Judge Rosen to the Federal Bench??

[areafiftyone]

I wonder who appointed Judge Rosen to the Federal Bench??

Could it beeeee

SATAN???

[nwrep]

Appointed by GHW Bush. Member of Federalist Society. Republican.

[nwrep]

Appointed by GHW Bush. Member of Federalist Society. Republican.

[pubmom]

The answer might surprise you:

Judge Gerald E. Rosen

[drjimmy]

I wonder who appointed Judge Rosen to the Federal Bench??
If your intent is to imply that he must be a Dim judge, you might just as well wonder who appointed John Ashcroft to his position. After all, only a Dim would do something so stupid to jeopardize the case against the terrorists.

[bandleader]

Point Well Taken!

[bandleader]

Too Bad!It's a good thing that sometimes"The Acorn Does Fall Some Distance From The Tree"!!

[Mind-numbed Robot]

The lawyers for the convicted men are grasping at all straws, as losing defense lawyers are prone to do. Was Ashscroft's comment before the trial, during the trial, or after the trial? Regardless, it seemed harmless enough. Praising a witness' courage in no way interferes with the jury's or the judge's ability to determine the veracity of their testimony.

Also, the judge has only asked Ashcroft to explain why he should not appear. May be a simple but necessary legal formality.

[familyofman]

John, I lost to a dead man, Ashcroft seems to like to run off at the mouth. This case & the anthrax case. And he wants more power under Patriot Act II?

[TheGunny]

You freakin' people amaze me! When our guys arent giving information they cant be trusted because they are up to no good, and when they give it, they are runnin' off at the mouth! Lets pick one standard!!!!

[VRWC_minion]

Talk about sensatinalist reporting. All the judge did was give Ashcroft a chance to avoid showing up in court. The judge hasn't ruled that Ashcroft violated the gag order. The judge hasn't even ruled that Ashcroft should explain himself.

Even if the Judge thinks their is no case for this motion he should at least give the motion consideraton.

[VRWC_minion]

I believe the courts cannot simply order a member of the executive branch without excersing caution----seperation of powers.

Claims that someone violated a court order is serious and its not up to the judge to explain what Ashcrofts intentions and motives.

[ellery]

Checks and balances bump.

[steve8714]

Ashcroft lost because Carnahan was dead...and he stopped campaigning for three days out of respect for the dead.
When Jim Talent's dad died, Jean kept on attacking.
Now I see her at the grocery store, a sad little old lady in a huge Cadillac...wish her well, as long as she is really in private life.
She was the ultimate puppet.

[eno_]

Ashcroft is not the brightest of "our guys." His lack of housecleaning at the DoJ, his handling of the anthrax case, atrocities like Patriot II, and other dim-bulb moves are the worst thing the Republicans (aka Stupid Party) are doing to themselves.