Category: Justice

Guilty, Guilty, Guilty!!!!!

No Comments

Sen. Ted Stevens guilty on all seven counts.

So Governor Palin, will you do right by the people of Alaska and appoint Begich to the Senate in November?

A few days extra seniority make a big difference in that body.

One note, the Jurors had to start from square one on deliberations today, because a juror was released because of a death in the family, so they pretty much settled this in the hallway.

I believe that GB Trudeau says it all in the attached Doonesbury cartoon from 1973.

This guy has been a gleeful cancer on the US senate for decades, and a little time for him in club Fed will do the American people a world of good.

What Hilzoy Says

No Comments

In the entire matter of the false accusation of politically motivated assault, I agree with what Hilzoy said:

I’d also like to give a shout-out to all the people who held off on this, and to Michelle Malkin, who did a lot to keep this story from getting completely out of hand.

Michelle Malkin did the right thing, which is is something that I never expected to say.

One final note, I do not know whether the woman who did concocted the report is mentally ill or not, but in either case, she should spend an extended time in confinement.

If she is mentally ill, she is clearly a threat to herself and others. If she is not mentally ill, then she did something ¼ step removed from an attempted lynching.

Jury Out on Uncle Ted

No Comments

Let’s be clear about this: the facts as they exist really should be enough to send him down the river for bribery, but it’s easier to show that he took, and did not report gifts.

We have disinterested parties like a contractor testifying that Veco specifically told a contractor to avoid sending a 13 grand bill:

Mr. Paone said Mr. Allen told him to “eat” the final bill and suggested that he “should look at it as a political contribution.”

Mr. Paone said he never alerted Sen. Stevens to the incident because he was concerned it would be “business suicide” to cross Mr. Allen, who was a powerful businessman in Alaska.

We also have his friend who managed the renovations of his chalet that Stevens never asked for a bill or invoice.

Stevens should not be a particularly sympathetic figure, what with his claiming that if anything was done wrong, it was his wife who screwed up, and his decision, because no lawyer in his right mind would put him up there, which showed, as Dana Milbank says:

Ted Stevens once told his Senate colleagues that he’s “a mean, miserable SOB.” Yesterday, he set out to prove it.

(See also here, here, here, and here)

Considering the degree to which the reports all agree that he was contemptuous, evasive, and just plain awful as a witness, I have to conclude that his testifying was Stevens’ and not his Attorney’s idea.

In closing arguments, the prosecutor got to the most damning evidence in the case, the fact that Stevens acknowledged what he was doing could get him into legal trouble.

That pretty much shoots down the argument that it was an “innocent mistake”.

Of course, considering how badly the prosecution has handled this, I get the sense that the judge wants to slap them silly for good cause, there are no guarantees,

In any case, the jury is deliberating now.

Equal Justice Under Law: 9 – Ohio Republican Party: 0

No Comments

The Ohio Republican Party got lower courts to approve their voter suppression tactics, which would have allowed them to use things an error in coding a middle initial to prevent people from voting.

Well, by a 9-0 unanimous vote, the Supreme Court told them to go Cheney themselves.

I’m not sure what shocks me more, the fact that the Supreme Court ruled this way, or that it was unanimous.

It’s clear that the ruling was narrow, on the basis that the Ohio Republican Party lacked standing in the suit:

Instead, they said they were granting Brunner’s request because it appears that the law does not allow private entities, like the Ohio GOP, to file suit to enforce the provision of the law at issue.

My guess is that they had 5 votes for democracy, and the other 4 got this narrow ruling, so they wouldn’t look like completely political tools….See Bush v. Gore in 2000.

Not Content With Being a Lame Duck

No Comments

Bush is determined to push through rule changes to allow dishonest companies to kill and injure ordinary citizens:

Bush administration officials, in their last weeks in office, are pushing to rewrite a wide array of federal rules with changes or additions that could block product-safety lawsuits by consumers and states.

The administration has written language aimed at pre-empting product-liability litigation into 50 rules governing everything from motorcycle brakes to pain medicine. The latest changes cap a multiyear effort that could be one of the administration’s lasting legacies, depending in part on how the underlying principle of pre-emption fares in a case the Supreme Court will hear next month.

Because they know, just like investment banks, nothing untoward will be done by companies, because the holy market place would punish them for maiming children.

Only to go.

Iraqi Status of Forces Agreement Near Signing

No Comments

Irt appears that the new pact calls fortroops to leave Iraqi cities by June with a complete widhdrawal by the end of 2011.

Basically, the Obama plan.

Also, it’s clear that the Iraqis knew that they had the US over a barrel, because immunity for US soldiers is severely curtailed:

U.S. negotiators demanded exclusive jurisdiction over all soldiers and contractors. But Iraq insisted on a role to convince the public that Iraqis – and not Americans – were in charge of their own country.

Under the compromise, the United States would have the primary right to try troops and Pentagon contractors for alleged offenses committed on American bases or during military operations, the officials said.

Such language would presumably shield troops from prosecution for accidentally killing civilians caught in crossfire during authorized combat operations.

But Iraq would have the first option to try U.S. military personnel and contractors for serious, premeditated crimes alleged to have been committed outside American bases and when they were not on an authorized mission, the officials said.

…

American troops would no longer be allowed to detain suspects or search homes without Iraqi legal authorization except in cases of active combat, the officials said. Anyone detained by the Americans must be handed over to the Iraqis within 24 hours

I would note that our status of forces agreements with our NATO allies and Japan give the local authorities far less access to soldiers accused of wrongdoing.

It appears that some members of Congress are having a cow over the potential exposure of US troops to Iraqi justice.

Unfortunately, the Iraqis know that if there is no deal by the election, it will be even worse for the ‘Phants, and applied the old adage, “If you’ve got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow.”

Bush Goes to Jail

No Comments

Or more accurately, he would in any system that has the real possibility for justice and honesty, so notes Dan Froomkin, who makes the point that it is now clear that Bush specifically authorized torture in a memo to the CIA.

Here is hoping that Obama goes after Bush and his Evil Minions ™, because healing by allowing the evil to skate, as was done by Gerald Ford with Richard Nixon, only encourages further evil.

A Partial Resolution on the Citi-Wells-Wachovia Menage à Bank

No Comments

Well, it appears that Citi has concluded that it will not get Wachovia, though it’s still looking to get some sort of payment for its time and effort.

My guess is that the revalations taht the FDIC was threatening to seize Wachovia if it did not cut a deal with Citi had something to do with their decision to abandon their quest to take over Wachovia:

Early on the morning of Monday, Sept. 29, FDIC officials contacted Wachovia executives and said the bank would not be able to open for business on Monday because of liquidity problems. The FDIC instructed Wachovia to negotiate with Citi, which was the only remaining bidder for Wachovia.

That morning Bob Steel told the company’s board that it had two options: Place Wachovia into bankruptcy or seek a government-assisted deal with Citi and the FDIC. The board voted in favor of seeking a deal.

The deal could be considered coerced, and courts look very dimly on these sorts of shenanigans….Particularly when the competing offer is 7 times more.

Note that even though Wells-Fargo’s offer was much larger, it was still less than 1/10 of what its assets were supposed to be just a year of so back.

Menage à Bank

No Comments

Well, it looks like Citi and Wells are going after it hammer and tongs over who gets wachovia.

First, Citi got a NY state judge to grant an injunction against Wells proceeding, and then Wachovia went to Federal Court to overturn that, and he
vacated the lower court ruling, as did a New York state appellate court.

Basically, Citi was going to pay $1/share, and getting money from the FDIC, and Wells is offering $7/share with no FDIC involvement.

Not sure what Citi’s motive is, but they seem to be eager to spend this money, for reasons that are unclear to me, particularly since they have lost money in the past few quarters.

It Appears that I Have Been Invited to Join the Illuminati

No Comments

So I get the following in my email

Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2008 06:59:11 -0500 (CDT)
From: Toby #### #####@roundtablegroup.com
To: me
Subject: Armored Vehicles Consulting Opportunities from Round Table Group

Dear Mr. Saroff:

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the Round Table Group. The firm provides clients — including the world’s most prestigious law firms — access to top experts (such as yourself) in all fields, including Armored Vehicles.

We are the premier expert witness referral firm, having pioneered this practice 14 years ago. Round Table Group has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Fortune, as well as many other publications. We have also been named on Inc. Magazine’s prestigious list of the fastest growing U.S. private companies five times!

This is a personal invitation to become part of the Round Table Group expert consortium. There are no fees to join, and becoming part of our network is non-exclusive. By submitting your CV and creating a profile with us, you will enable us to contact you when a client has a need for your precise interests and experience. Our client engagements are varied, lucrative, and interesting.

You let us know on a project-by-project basis whether you are qualified, interested, and available, and you set your own billing rates for each project. We will present your information to the client as part of a resume book and make introductions if there is mutual interest. When you are engaged, we will handle billing and collections for you, so you can spend more time doing what is enjoyable and profitable.

Again, we would be delighted to welcome you to our expert network. Please join Round Table Group’s expert network by clicking here and submitting the application which should take less than 5 minutes. Feel free to contact me and my staff with any questions! We hope you will take a seat at the Round Table, where clients receive a level of service and a breadth and depth of expertise that are unmatched.

Best Regards,
Toby #######
Vice President of Operations
Round Table Group, Inc.
#############
##############
Washington DC
202-###-####

RTG: The Inc. Magazine 2003, ’04, ’05, ’07 & ’08 Winner — fastest growing U.S. private companies”

To discontinue future correspondence from RTG, please let us know.

So I Google them, to see if they are on the level.

It appears that they are a repository of expert witnesses for court testimony, but I also find links on the first page tying them to the Illuminati.

Delving further, it appears that in the early 20th century, Cecil Rhodes was involved in a eponymous group in the early 20th century, and if you Google “Round Table Group” and Rhodes, it appears that this older group is:

  • Part of a worldwide conspiracy to create one world government
  • A Plan to create a theocracy.
  • Or the reason that pop music sucks these days.

I guess I’ve made it in the world.

Palin Aids to Testify in Troopergate

No Comments

In light to judge saying that the investigation was legal, and the subpoenas binding, 7 members of Palin’s staff have agreed to testify to the State Senate investigator, Steve Branchflower.

When all is said and done, this entire bit was stupid. With only minor effort, they could have put off any meaningful report until after the election, and the report will likely be inconclusive anyway.

For some reason, however, they chose to create about 6 weeks of coverup stories.