Scooter Libby Found Guilty!

[sinewave]

'Scooter' Libby guilty on four of five counts

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby has been found guilty on four of five counts in his perjury and obstruction of justice trial.

Libby was convicted of:

* obstruction of justice when he intentionally deceived a grand jury investigating the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame;

* making a false statement by intentionally lying to FBI agents about a conversation with NBC newsman Tim Russert;

* perjury when he lied in court about his conversation with Russert;

* a second count of perjury when he lied in court about conversations with other reporters.

Jurors cleared him of a second count of making a false statement relating to a conversation he had with Matt Cooper of Time magazine.

Libby, 56, faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and a fine of $1 million. A hearing on a presentencing report is scheduled for June 5.

CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said, "He is virtually certain to go to prison if this conviction is upheld."

After the verdict was read, Libby was fingerprinted and released on his own recognizance.

Ted Wells, Libby's defense attorney, said he will file a motion for a new trial, or appeal the conviction if that motion is denied.

"We intend to keep fighting to establish his innocence," Wells said outside the courthouse.

As court concluded Tuesday, Libby's wife, Harriet Grant, hugged every member of the defense team. She was teary-eyed as she kissed Wells on the cheek.

The White House issued a statement that President Bush watched the verdict and was saddened for Libby and his wife.

Libby, a former aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, was not accused of exposing Plame. He resigned in 2005 after the grand jury indicted him.

"It's sad that we had a situation where a high-level official, a person who worked in the office of vice president, obstructed justice and lied under oath, and we wish that had not happened but it did," Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald said.

Prosecutors contended Libby disclosed Plame's covert profession to reporters as part of a plan to discredit her husband, Joseph Wilson, a former ambassador who alleged that the Bush administration twisted some intelligence in the run-up to the Iraq war.

Wilson, who conducted a CIA-sponsored trip to Niger, wrote in a July 2003 New York Times editorial that he found no evidence Iraq sought to buy uranium from the African nation, as the administration claimed.

The jury was down to 11 members -- seven women and four men. A week ago, one of the jurors revealed that she had obtained outside information that prompted the judge to disqualify her.

The defense said it would accept 11 jurors to avoid having to start deliberations over with an alternate. The prosecution objected, but U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton overruled, and the panel has continued with one chair empty.

Testimony and evidence in the trial began January 23.

CNN's Kevin Bohn and Paul Courson contributed to this report.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/06/cia.leak/index.html

 

[KingOfDreams]

Good deal, although I still think the guilt goes higher up.

 

[Immortalfire]

Scooter Libby...found guily on having the worst name in the world?

 

[jaguarr]

While I don't weep for him, it's sad that everyone pretty well knows he was just following orders from his boss but that just can't be proven at this point. Burn Cheny, Scooter! Take him down with you!

jag

 

[kane9321]

good..good.One down and more to go

 

[Armand Z Trip]

Well, I guess that's an inconvenient truth for all those neocons.

I think there will be an appeal, it'll be in court for a couple more years, then he will be pardoned by shrub when he leaves office.

Maybe with Barack Obama as President (it's what I'm hoping for), Scooter can be tried for treason and shot! They can put in on pay per view!

I hope this opens serious investigations of the path to war, cooking the intelligence reports and supression of the facts.

 

[blind_fury]

It's too bad thousands had to die because of the Bush Administrations lies and deciet.

Not to mention half a trillion in tax payer money out the window.

 

[Motown Marvel]

they should cut off his legs and replace them with scooters!!

 

[Matt]

While I don't weep for him, it's sad that everyone pretty well knows he was just following orders from his boss but that just can't be proven at this point. Burn Cheny, Scooter! Take him down with you!

jag

Why would he snitch at this point? He will spend a year in a white collar, minimum security prison...you know, the type with HBO, air conditioning, and catered dinners (if not just house arrest)...and then Bush will pardon him at the end of his term.

 

[Superman]

Well, I guess that's an inconvenient truth for all those neocons.

I think there will be an appeal, it'll be in court for a couple more years, then he will be pardoned by shrub when he leaves office.

Maybe with Barack Obama as President (it's what I'm hoping for), Scooter can be tried for treason and shot! They can put in on pay per view!

I hope this opens serious investigations of the path to war, cooking the intelligence reports and supression of the facts.

The Neo-cons will never believe he is guilty of anything. Bush Co. can do no wrong and this is all just a Left Wing conspiracy to spread lies about the war in Iraq as far as they are concerned. Hell, There are still neo-cons out there who think we found WMDs in Iraq.

 

[Demon Within]

This verdict was in long before a trial was set.

 

[Matt]

This verdict was in long before a trial was set.

Let me guess, the evil liberals set Scooter up and are just playing politics with these charges and bought the jury?

 

[jaguarr]

Why would he snitch at this point? He will spend a year in a white collar, minimum security prison...you know, the type with HBO, air conditioning, and catered dinners (if not just house arrest)...and then Bush will pardon him at the end of his term.

Oh, I know he never will. Doesn't stop my wishful thinking. I think they should put all these white collar criminal a-holes in with the general population at Sing-Sing. Having the threat of that hanging over their heads would make them think twice about pulling this kind of crap.

jag

 

[Mr Sparkle]

oh snap, a guy named "scooter" is going to prison.
I envision a grim, rather rapey future for him.

 

[Mee]

I call my toddler niece "scooter." Now I'll forever think of her as a felon.

 

[Duende Verde]

oh snap, a guy named "scooter" is going to prison.
I envision a grim, rather rapey future for him.

Everybody is gonna want to take a "ride" on The Scooter.

 

[Mr Sparkle]

ew.

 

[sinewave]

Oh, I know he never will. Doesn't stop my wishful thinking. I think they should put all these white collar criminal a-holes in with the general population at Sing-Sing. Having the threat of that hanging over their heads would make them think twice about pulling this kind of crap.

jag

i'm all for that.

 

[StorminNorman]

I am glad Libby was convicted, I just hope he does not get away with a slap on the wrist like Sandy Berger did.

 

[PhotoJones]

while i'm happy libby's going to prison, this is the type of thing that makes me wish there's a hell.

 

[sinewave]

too bad libby had to take the fall for cheney and rove...

 

[jaguarr]

I call my toddler niece "scooter." Now I'll forever think of her as a felon.

Everybody is gonna want to take a "ride" on The Scooter.

i'm all for that.

jag

 

[sinewave]

curse your editing prowess!!! you've got a great career ahead of you as a daily show interview editor, jag.

 

[sinewave]

edit

 

[Mr Sparkle]

curse your editing prowess!!! you've got a great career ahead of you as a daily show interview editor, jag.