Gov. Mark Warner (probable '08 candidate) has a lot to sleep on..

[snowbear]

Tomorrow's Washington Post A01 - Sunday, November 27, 2005
"Warner Weighing Inmate's Plea For Clemency"

...."Warner (D) has not yet granted clemency to a condemned killer since he took office in 2002. The state has executed 11 men in that time. But now, as Warner is considering a run for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, he must make a decision on the most controversial death penalty case of his four-year term."

Pretty interesting because guess who one of the inmate's lawyers is?

...."Lovitt's legal team, which includes former Whitewater independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr, says that if Warner doesn't intervene, faith in Virginia's criminal justice system would be eroded permanently because of the possibility of an innocent man's execution.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/26/AR2005112601213.html

Hope you make the right decision Governor! (I'd hate to start a campaign out with Ken Starr hounding you)

[Renew Deal]

1. Give Starr the chair

:shrug:

[Hippo_Tron]

2. Holy shit this is a weird case

[JI7]

3. this is one reason we should not have the death penalty at all

[Hippo_Tron]

7. Agreed

Mark Warner's a great guy and all but he's only human. Humans make mistakes and thus shouldn't be trusted to decide whether other humans deserve to live or die.

[nofurylike]

4. please write to Governor Warner about clemency for Mr. Lovitt!

this is his email form:
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/Contact/email_form.html

from the WaPost article:
-snip-
Lovitt's attorneys argue that their client -- who has maintained his innocence -- should be spared because an Arlington Circuit Court clerk mistakenly threw away DNA evidence that could have proved his claim. Lovitt's legal team, which includes former Whitewater independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr, says that if Warner doesn't intervene, faith in Virginia's criminal justice system would be eroded permanently because of the possibility of an innocent man's execution.
-snip-

***

please do write Gov Warner!

thank you!


peace!

[snowbear]

5. ~Thanks NoFury~

I will probably write him asking him to carefully review the unique details of this case (before it's too late to do anything about it) ~~~~

[nofurylike]

11. that's great larissa, thank you! now is the most important time! eom

[snowbear]

16. This case is getting a LOT of media coverage all of a sudden..

If evidence was inadvertantly destroyed and he let's the guy fry on Wednesday.. boy.. I dunno.. :freeze:

Better think this one out carefully Governor!! :o :o :o

[jfern]

6. I got the solution

Clearly if the man is innocent, $60 million of taxpayer money must be spent investigating him. Right, Starr?

[Hippo_Tron]

8. LMAO, good one

[wakeme2008]

9. Don't do it if you plan to run in 2008

I smell Rove all over this one

Stephen F. Smith, a University of Virginia law professor, said that without compelling evidence of innocence it is difficult for any governor, particularly one considering national office, to grant clemency. He said Republicans could use such a decision to paint Warner as "soft on crime."

"I think Mark Warner would be playing with fire by granting this clemency request without clear-cut evidence of innocence," Smith said.

If a candidate appears soft on crime, it can be difficult to rebound, Smith said.

[ruggerson]

13. Of course

why do you think the guy is represented by Starr?

These guys are quaking in their boots over Warner, because they know he's electable. So obviously this is a set up to try to paint Warner into a corner.

He should not take the bait.

[Lefty48197]

10. Do they get to execute his lawyer with him?

If so, then fire up old sparky.

[ruggerson]

12. If Starr is representing the guy, then he should be executed

because it is undoubtedly a political trap.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

14. He should take a look at it. If he's *wrong politically* then this is

a good test for him to show how he would handle it.

[snowbear]

15. Good point... Crazy that Ken Starr is part of this trial !!!

And because of Governor Warner's popularity, I'll bet anything he's already topping the list for the GOP's "Swift-boat List"