Judge hands Libby defense initial win

[sabra]

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/politics/15573713.htm

Judge hands Libby defense initial win
MATT APUZZO
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - A federal judge handed a victory to the defense Thursday in the Valerie Plame case, siding with Vice President Dick Cheney's indicted former chief of staff in a fight over release of classified information.

U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton decided that he won't impose strict standards sought by prosecutors who want to limit the amount of classified information used in the trial of defendant I. Lewis Libby.

Prosecutors had proposed a stringent three-part legal test that would have allowed information to be considered for the trial only when its benefit to the defense outweighed the government's need to keep it secret.

Walton sided with Libby's lawyers, who said any evidence that's relevant to the case should be considered for use. Once Walton rules on which evidence is relevant, government attorneys can propose portions to be blacked out or summarized, the judge said.

[ThomCat]

1. This might not be a bad thing.

Some of that classified information might turn up some useful information.

[noonwitch]

7. It strikes me as a sound kind of ruling

Libby has the right to defend himself and use whatever related documents he can to do so.

[VegasWolf]

12. Exactly! This pretzeldent has hid behind the word "classified" since it

has been in public office.

[stop the bleeding]

2. Enjoy it fuckface Fibby

this is a small victory

enjoy it

[merh]

3. That's no biggie - dear god, the media is just nutts

that is an evidentiary thing and not surprising in the least.

I would suggest that it be mandatory for any journalist that has the "courthouse beat" to study the game of chess and read Clarence Darrow for the Defense and anything by Vincent Bugliosi. Idiots - wot a victory -- series!!!111

[gratuitous]

4. Libby didn't "win"; justice did

Every time a judge reinforces the notion that people accused of crimes have the right to see the evidence against them and know the charges made against them, justice scores another victory over the corrupt Bush administration, which would love to just lock people up without charge or evidence.

I hope Libby gets every ruling, every break he can. Then, when he's convicted anyway, he doesn't have an appealable issue to keep his traitorous ass out of jail.

[ForFuxakes]

5. Cherry picked prosecutors maybe...

"U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton decided that he won't impose strict standards sought by prosecutors who want to limit the amount of classified information used in the trial of defendant I. Lewis Libby."

WHO WANT TO LIMIT...who picked these prosecutors i wonder?

:wtf:

[klebean]

6. it's my understanding that

Libby wants to inundate his defense w/evidence that shows he was "too busy"
to keep track of his lies...I think Fitzgerald's intent to limit has something to
do with keeping the amount of horseshit to a minimum.

[Missy Vixen]

10. The limits are to prevent the

case from being immediately graymailed out of court.

>WHO WANT TO LIMIT<

The prosecution would actually like to get the Libby case into a courtroom, instead of letting the case be tossed on a technicality.

Julie

[Fiendish Thingy]

8. doesn't this involve the "state secrets"/graymail issue...

i.e. Libby uses a shotgun approach to subpeona all manner of classified evidence, which the Bush administration refuses to release, citing "state secrets" or "national security", then Libby walks due to the inability to have a fair trial, or something like that...

[Missy Vixen]

9. This is exactly right

>then Libby walks due to the inability to have a fair trial<

I suppose the words "fair trial" should be in quotes. After all, the defense is frantically trying to introduce evidence that will ensure the case can't be heard in open court.

It's a graymail issue.

Julie

[dkofos]

11. BFD I would want it that way also

[Zodiak]

13. So the judge wants to see all evidence

and somehow that is a victory for BushCo?

Talk about spin.

If Libby has some classified crap that exculpates him and can be verified, let's see it.