ABC: Libby Trial About to Heat Up?

[sabra]

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/06/libby_trial_abo.html

Libby Trial About to Heat Up?

New details on the government's case against I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the former Chief of Staff for Vice President Cheney, and new clues in the ongoing investigation of Karl Rove may be revealed next week. A conference with presiding Judge Walton, prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald and the Libby defense team is set for Monday afternoon to discuss issues in the case including those listed below:

The status of materials requested by Libby: Earlier this month, Judge Walton denied the release of many of the documents that Libby had requested from government agencies. This denial could undercut Libby's defense.

Additional motions relating to evidence presented during the trial: Of particular interest are the notes by Vice President Cheney on Joseph Wilson's "New York Times" op-ed. While Libby's lawyers do not want the op-ed to be shown to the jury, Fitzgerald says Cheney's notes are relevant and admissible to establish some of the facts "noted by defendant's immediate superior...and that his superior communicated these facts to defendant at or near the time the Wilson Op-Ed was published."

...

Early trial subpoenas: This increased in interest after the prosecution hinted that Cheney may be called as a witness. Other potential government witnesses include Ari Fleischer, two CIA daily briefers and State Department official Marc Grossman. The defense has indicated they will call Rove, Wilson and Valerie Plame.

[Kadie]

1. .

:kick:

[myrna minx]

2. Why on earth would the defense need to call Plame to testify

for Libby's perjury and obstruction case? :crazy:

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

3. A common tactic in drug cases is to force disclosure of an informant's ID

Sometimes the defense succeeds and the prosecution may then choose to drop the case. Police officers protect their snitches, because the informant's life would be in danger and the informant is usually worth more to the police than a small time drug dealer's conviction.

I suspect that Libby is trying to force Valerie Wilson to get on the stand so that Fitzgerald has to decide how damaging her testimony would be to national security. It shows how little Scooter Libby, and the entire GOP for that matter, cares about national security.

If Team Libby is refused, they may try to appeal on the basis of not being able to use all relevant witnesses.

I'm not a lawyer, but it looks desperate to me.

[myrna minx]

4. It *does* look desperate.

I could understand if Libby was indicted with crimes other that perjury or obstruction, but how on earth would Plame's testimony give Libby any wiggle room for his accused crimes? LOL. It is desperate indeed. :hi:

[pacalo]

5. Great comment about Cheney's handwritten notations on NYT article...

It is a sad moment in the History of the US when we have become so used to the manipulation of evidence and self-serving / crony-enriching behavior of the Vice President that no one even asks why his notes on the NY Times article didn't say something like, "Look into this!! Did we rush into war while ignoring important evidence?" Let's set up a meeting with Joe Wilson to find out more."

Posted by: whatreallymatters | Jun 11, 2006 7:29:05 PM