Snipes’ Prosecutors Are Sore Losers

According to Ocala.com, federal prosecutors have decided to appeal a federal district judge’s decision to allow actor Wesley Snipes to remain free on bail while he appeals his sentence on three misdemeanor counts of failing to file a federal income tax return. Snipes was sentenced to 12 months incarceration for each count, with the sentences to run consecutively, meaning Snipes would likely serve close to the full 3 years (there is no parole in the federal system). The prosecutors are clearly not content with the draconian sentence – consecutive terms, under the circumstances, is somewhat unusual, and very likely unconstitutional – that, in my view, reflects the sentencing judge’s having taken into account alleged conduct for which Snipes was not actually convicted, the prosecution will now ask an appellate court to overrule that same sentencing judge’s decision to allow Snipes to remain free while the appellate process plays out. Snipes does not represent a danger to the community, and the risk that he will flee the United States appears to be minimal at most. These prosecutors are, at best, sore losers. I suppose they ran out of important things to do, like hounding escort service owners into suicide, or pursuing professional athletes for lying about steroid use. Nitwits.

OJ Seeks Dismissal of Half of the Charges Against Him

The Associated Press reported recently that OJ Simpson last week filed a motion seeking to have half of the charges against him – including the top level kidnapping charge – dismissed. Whatever you think of Simpson – like that he killed his ex-wife and Ron Goldman (which he probably did) – there is a reasonable basis to argue that he is being persecuted in Nevada because of who he is. The kidnapping and armed robbery charges are absurd and should be dismissed. If I were a betting man, though, I’d wager that the motion is denied.

“The whole thing is a crock of sh*t.”

So says defense attorney Mark Geragos about the federal investigation into steroid use and distribution that led to the recent indictment of home run king Barry Bonds. As outlined fairly persuasively in this recent article on Reason magazine’s website, Geragos appears to be right. The BALCO case appears to be yet another federal boondoggle in which the jack booted thugs prosecution feels compelled to justify having wasted years and millions dollars of tax payers money by indicting someon=e who committed no real crime fora derivative offense of perjury and obstruction in connection with the original fruitless investigation. Barry Bonds may be an unlikeable jackass. But that by no means excuses the ourageous lengths to which federal prosecutors have gone to vindicate this ridiculous investigation.

Feds Might Investigate Nifong’s Attempted Frameup

News outlets are reporting that the US Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina is weighing an investigation into whether Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong, among others, iolated the civil rights of the three Duke lacrosse players that Nifong and the Durham police tried to frame for rape. Let’s hope that they include the lying accuser, Crystal Mangum in the fun. Hat tip: Lie Stoppers.

And They Say Defense Lawyers Have All the Fun

Evidently, a prosecutor in Washington state is in a jam for, among other things, entering into a sexual relationship with the mother of a defendant he was prosecuting for the purpose of obtaining confidential defense information. But we have no reason to fear that the Government will trample on liberties in pursuit of its, sometimes illegitimate, objectives. OK.

Study Shows that Children Begin To Deceive At 6 Months of Age

The UK Telegraph ran this interesting story reporting the results of studies conducted by psychologists at the University of Portsmouth. The study shows that children begin to engage in deceitful behavior as early as 6 months of age. Presumably Patrick Fitzgerald will be issuing indictments shortly.

The Libby Perjury Trap

My recent post criticizing Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald seems to have angered some, including one purported Yale Law School alumnus (whose comments have been deleted because they were left using what appears to have been a bogus email address). So I want to re-direct this Libby discussion. Its not about Bush, and its not about the war. Its about a perjury trap. Read more below the fold.

Duke 12, Cornell 11

The Duke men’s lacrosse team today defeated previously unbeaten Cornell 12-11 in the NCAA tournament semifinals, earning a spot in Monday’s title game against Johns Hopkins. The top seeded Blue Devils are favored to win their first national title, and have already earned a large dose of redemption. Meanwhile, the jackbooted thug Mike Nifong, who sought to advance his career by prosecuting three innocent former teammates of the Duke team readies himself for a hearing on ethics charges arising out of his failed jihad against the Duke Three. If there is even a small measure of justice in the Universe, the Duke team will triumph on Monday, and Nifong will be disbarred.

Patrick Fitzgerald is a Thug

The Associated Press this afternoon reported that Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has asked federal district judge Reggie Walton to sentence Scooter Libby to 2 1/2 to 3 years on the obstruction of justice charges on which Libbly was convicted several months ago. 2 1/2 to 3 years for supposedly lying about something that wasn’t a crime, for which no one was charged, and for which Fitzgerald KNEW someone else (Richard Armitage) was responsible before anyone even asked Libby a single question, and before Libby ever appeared before a grand jury. The Libby case should never have been brought, and Patrick Fitzgerald should have folded up his tent and put his jack boots in the closet. Instead, he chose to call Libby before the grand jury repeatedly in what was a blatant perjury trap. Fitzgerald is a disgrace to the Justice Department and the legal profession.

Prosecutors Experience “Blowback” from Botched Duke Lacrosse Case

The National Law Journal this week reported that prosecutors across the nation report that they are beginning to experience the adverse consequences of Mike Nifong’s baseless jihad against three Duke lacrosse players. The prosecutors claim that defense attorney’s are increasingly making the argument that the Duke lacrosse prosecution is proof that defendants are often wrongfully charged and prosecuted. Preumably the argument is meeting with some success, or the prosecutors wouldn’t be whining about it. The fact is that what happened to the Duke students happens more frequently than any of us would prefer to believe or admit. Its about time that the prosecutors began to reap the whirlwind from the abusive tactics that they so often employ.