Judge to hear arguments on Libby tapes today [View All]

[radfringe]

Judge to hear arguments on Libby tapes today
By MATT APUZZO | Associated Press
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/4526142.html
Houston Chronicle | Feb. 5, 2007

WASHINGTON — Former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's right to a fair trial might be jeopardized if tapes of his grand jury testimony are released to the public, his attorneys say.

A federal judge is scheduled to hear arguments this morning on whether to release Libby's tapes after they are played in court. Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald successfully fought to enter the tapes into evidence and plans to play about eight hours of Libby's closed-door testimony regarding the leak of a CIA operative's name.

U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton has ordered that trial evidence be released after each court session. But Libby's lawyers say grand jury testimony — the sworn statements Libby gave investigations about his conversations with Vice President Dick Cheney and journalists — is too sensitive to be released.

The tapes would almost certainly be played on television, radio and the Internet. Jurors are under court order to avoid such media but defense attorneys say that's not enough.

--snip--

In the tapes, Libby discusses conversations he had regarding Valerie Plame, the wife of a prominent Iraq war critic, former ambassador Joseph Wilson. Plame's identity was leaked to reporters in 2003.


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-- Russert is expected to testify late tuesday

-- Prosecution is expected to rest it's case this week

-- No confirmation that Cheney and/or Rove will testify although they have been subpoenaed

-- No confirmation that Libby will take the stand in his own defense

Blatherheads have been saying it would be more damaging to Libby if Cheney/Rove/Libby took the stand.

Also given Cheney's credibility standing, Cheney could damage himself if he testified as much of the testimony heard so far points to him as the "MANIPULATOR". It also brings more into question that just who leaked what when and how it happened - it also brings into question the entire justification for invading Iraq and how much of that intelligence was manipulated, cherry-picked, spun, or fabricated