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
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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.
Certainly if W allowed that crooked SOB Berger to run around free its the least he could do for the GOP.
Thank you President Bush.
It feels good to agree with something you’ve done, for a change!!
My guess is that Libby receives a full pardon right before Bush leaves office.
Good news for the Libby family.
GREAT NEWS!!!
YEP lets get him a job at FOX or give him his own radio show...that’d be sweeeet...
make him a consultant and pay him a boxcar full of money...
so much he can pay his lawyers and that fine out of chump
change...then whose the chump?
Damn straight, Mr. President. That’s a fine start to a new week, month and quarter.
Donate now to help this man!!
Chris Matthews is having a cow right now!
can we believe again?
Excellent! Just heard it on the Schnitt Show. This is good news and the right thing to do.
To Hell with MSM, they are going to go nuts over this!
LOL...this should be fun
Popcorn, please....
Dubya standing strong, there will be much wailing and gnashing of the teeth by the Bush haters
Excellent!
Agreed!
Anyone have an address to help pay the fine?
Yes!
Do you have a link to the website?
Good news bump! Can’t wait for the Dems and Chrissy Matthews to wet their pants.
As long as the border agents are serving hard time, then I do not agree with this commutation.
Jeffrey Toobin, on CNN, seems deeply saddened by this move.
He should have pardoned him though...
commutation of sentence: In criminal law, reduction of a sentence for a criminal act by action of the executive head of the government. Like pardon pardon, in law, exemption from punishment for a criminal conviction granted by the grace of the executive of a government. Commutation of sentence is a matter of grace, not of right; it is distinguished from pardon, however, in that the conviction of crime is not nullified. The commutation, hence, may be granted on condition that the criminal observe certain restrictions for the balance of his original sentence. Many states have statutes providing for commutation of sentence as a reward for good conduct during imprisonment. Once earned, the commutation becomes a matter of right and may be enforced by court action.Perhaps this will allow the appeal to go on without jail time. At the end of the appeal process, the President could still pardon him and remove the convistion.
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