Texas hearing on Dick Cheney, Alberto Gonzales indictment turns chaotic

[kpete]

Source: Dallas Morning News


Texas hearing on Dick Cheney, Alberto Gonzales indictment turns chaotic

12:45 PM CST on Friday, November 21, 2008

Associated Press

RAYMONDVILLE, Texas — A county prosecutor who brought indictments against Vice President Dick Cheney, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and others pounded his fist and shouted at the judge Friday about special treatment for high-profile defendants as a routine motions hearing descended into chaos.

Willacy County District Attorney Juan Angel Guerra, who is accusing the public officials of culpability in the alleged abuse of prisoners in a federal detention center, asked Presiding Judge Manuel Banales to recuse himself. Guerra has complained about Banales' handling of the case.

Attorneys for the vice president and other defendants leapt to their feet in objection, as Guerra pounded the table and accused Banales of giving the defendants special treatment in allowing motions to quash the indictments to be heard before the defendants were arraigned.

"Now all of a sudden there is urgency," Guerra shouted. "Eighteen months you kept me indicted through the election." The charges against Guerra were dropped last year. Guerra lost re-election in the March Democratic primary

Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestne...

[Joe Chi Minh]

1. A great name for this situation: John, the Angel of War! Or to rephrase

the comment of a French general on the charge of the Light Brigade: Eeet ees not warrr, but eeet ees magneefeecent! Maybe this a charge Juan Angel can win. Hope so. He deserves it after that disgracefully dishonest indictment. Some accountability would be nice, wouldn't it?

[jhrobbins]

2. I wrote a post in another place praising the judge for not proceeding

without the DA in appearance( apparently someone failed to tell him of the hearing). Maybe I was a bit premature in my praise. This judge however, had better look a little further down the road about this Cheney/Gonzales/(Bush) thingy because it looks like there may be more bad news for them in the pipeline. Hopefully!!

[cobalt1999]

3. Sorry, but this Guerra is a nut.

When legal experts are saying his case is a "rambling narrative" combined with this bizarre behavior, I think the guy needs psychological help.

[Myrina]

6. yeah, I'm getting that same vibe ...

[JeanGrey]

9. This is a joke and the guy is a nut. This is going to go away

soon. He should get help.

[McCamy Taylor]

4. Guerra sounds like another Dem target of a bogus investigation who is fighting back.

The prisons in Texas are all so corrupt that you only have to investigate them to find criminal activity. I have no doubt that he has a case. Whether he can make the charges against Gonzo and Cheney stick is another matter. That may be stretching. But if it is a Texas prison, someone has committed criminal activity---you can count on that.

[midnight]

7. I second this. I heard his telephone interview where he was

discussing why he was not in court. No one let him know there was a court date. Sounded very sane to me. This judge is alowing his court room to turn into a manipulation of tricks via cheny and crew.

[no_hypocrisy]

5. Wow. Dallas Legal!

Eat your heart out, Denny!

[harpboy_ak]

8. Texas, home of elected judges and DAs

Texas, where both the judges and the prosecutors are elected. Where judges are allowed to hear cases where the attornies have given huge campaign contributions to the judge, and where both judges and prosecutors are allowed to solicit campaign contributions. Texas, with the most corrupt courts in the country.

[sattahipdeep]

10. “Operation Goliath.”

“The corruption is bringing this county down and I’m the only one that is standing before here,” he exclaimed. “It’s very obvious you’re trying to ambush the district attorney in this case.”

Guerra said he has five lawyers from around the country on their way to assist him.

The long-embattled district attorney met clandestinely with the grand jury for months before handing up Monday’s indictments against county, state, and federal officials.

He alleges all are in some way linked with scandals allowing high-level officials to profit from private prisons where inmates have wrongfully died.

He said he is especially prepared to bring his case against state Sen. Eddie Lucio, who is accused of using his position to steer contracts for the prisons and is pushing for any trial to take place this year.

Some of the officials, including two state judges, two special prosecutors, and a county clerk, are named for trying to quash Guerra and thus the investigation he terms “Operation Goliath.”

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/34883214.html

[cobalt1999]

11. Operation Paranoid Lunatic

The more I read about this case, the more he sounds unhinged.

[sattahipdeep]

12. They create this illusion, 'the DA is loco.'

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[cobalt1999]

13. Sorry, there is no illusion required and no "they".

I think he is nuts just based on the words out of his own mouth. The guy has lost it.

[coalition_unwilling]

15. I'm reminded of NOLA DA Jim Garrison, the

only DA ever to bring charges in the murder of JFK.

MSM portrayed Garrison as "unhinged" in his pursuit of Clay Shaw. Long afterward, it came to light that Shaw actually was a CIA "asset."

"Unhinged"? A Texas grand jury heard testimony, saw evidence and duly indicted. Why should Cheney and Gonzales get their indictments dismissed before arraignment when no one else gets that privilege???

WTF???

[mcg]

14. Some info on private prisons and this indictment ...

About Private Prisons
http://www.texasprisonbidness.org/about-private-prisons

South Texas D.A. Indicts GEO Group, Cheney, Gonzalez, Etc.
http://www.texasprisonbidness.org/lawsuits/south-texas-...

The Texas prison system is corrupt, but Guerra does seem a bit unhinged. I wonder if he's got some good evidence. I doubt this will go very far, even if he does have some.

[lovuian]

16. Is the Grand Jury who indicted Cheney and Gonzales also

crazy unhinged and demented????

thats a lot of Loco not just one man