Libby sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison

[babylonsister]

Source: AP

Libby sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison

By MATT APUZZO, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 15 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison Tuesday for lying and obstructing the CIA leak investigation.

Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, stood calmly before a packed courtroom as a federal judge said the evidence overwhelmingly proved his guilt and left the courthouse without commenting.

"People who occupy these types of positions, where they have the welfare and security of nation in their hands, have a special obligation to not do anything that might create a problem," U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton said.

Walton did not set a date for Libby to report to prison. Though he saw no reason to let Libby remain free pending appeal, Walton said he would accept written arguments on the issue and rule later.

more...

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070605/ap_on_go_pr_wh/cia_leak_trial;_ylt=A0WTUer0v2VGHE0BFBis0NUE

[DesertRat]

1. The judge threw the book at him

:woohoo: :applause: :woohoo:

[Jim__]

2. I'm glad he's going to prison.

My bet is that bush pardons him b/4 leaving office. That's what poppy did for all the Iran/Contra convicts.

[Pachamama]

3. 1 down, atleast 20 more to go in this administration....

I pray for the day Cheney, Bush, Rumsfeld, Condi et al are sitting in jail for their crimes...

[Rosa Luxemburg]

18. yes

quicker the better

[sonias]

4. evidence overwhelmingly proved his guilt

Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.

In the end, jurors said they did not believe Libby's main defense: that he hadn't lied but merely had a bad memory.

Now he should respect the rule of law and take his punishment.

Sonia

[Archae]

5. First!

Next stop: Libby's boss!

[AllexxisF1]

6. Totally

PWNED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[whopis01]

7. Not enough. Fitzgerald should have asked for more. n/t

[Missy Vixen]

9. It wasn't possible to ask for more under sentencing guidelines

Please go to www.firedoglake.com and read about how the calculation of the sentence was carried out.

Julie

[mitchum]

8. HAHAHA! (n/t)

[mvd]

10. He got in the range of what was asked for by..

the prosecution, so I'll take it! I hope it doesn't put to rest investigation of higher criminals like Cheney and Rove, though. I am against the death penalty in all cases except the most extreme where you can't protect people from a murderer (U.S. doesn't come close to qualifying for that,) but I do support stiff sentences for people like Libby, Cheney, Rove, etc.

[NastyRiffraff]

11. Good. Now about that cloud...

over Cheney and the OVP.

Bush now has a big problem. I have no doubt he WANTS to pardon Libby, but it's going to be difficult for him to do so. On one end is Cheney, who will be lobbying for a pardon. On the other end is the RNC, which, whatever their faults, should be able to see the huge negative inpact on the party with a Bush pardon. This will be a big indicator on how much influence Cheney has. We've heard all kinds of reports about the tensions between the OVP and various other branches of the White House. I think this issue will only increase those tensions.

[still_one]

12. I hope he doesn't let libby remain free pending appeal

Then we will see if bush pardon's him or not

My bet is that they will either get to the judge before he serves a day in prison, or bush will pardon him

[Hepburn]

13. From what I am reading, it does not sound like the judge...

...will do this. IMO, one does not throw the book at a perp...and then give him a break and give him a STAY OUT OF JAIL card pending appeal ~~ a process which could take years. This judge has a history of being a tough sentencer...and he proved it today.

And...I doubt if Shit-for-Brains will pardon him BEFORE the end of his term, if he does at all. So...if what I am hearing that the BOP will give him a reporting date of about 6 - 8 weeks from now is true, even if he is pardoned, he will do at least 18 months in the federal can.

Bravo, Judge Walton! :applause:

[Jemmons]

14. A pardon is not a good remedy when there isn't full disclosure

of facts. A pardon will work pretty much like immunity given to a witness: with a pardon you can no longer excuse yourself from giving evidence under oath. To do so constitutes contempt and a new sentence will soon follow.


Libbys only hope is to strike a deal with the prosecution, and to my mind such a deal has now become a lot more likely.

The alternative is an appeal trial that ends after the sitting president has retired and Gore has taken over (or whoever).

[Hand]

15. Not meaning to gloat, but...

Nah Nah NAH Nah,

Nah Nah NA-AH NAH,

HEY HEY-EYYY,

GOOD BYE!!!!!!!!!!

:party: :party: :party: :party: :party: :party: :party: :party: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast:

[tjwash]

16. Wow. Usually one must do something horrible like stealing cable to warrant such a stiff sentence.

:eyes:

I guess covering up and lying for traitorous scum in a time of war is just a ho-hum common place occurrence now. I shouldn't get myself worked up. He's not gonna see a lick of actual time behind bars, meanwhile some 19 year unemployed kid who's job got moved to India will get arrested for shoplifting a can of tuna from a circle-k because he's hungry, and the court will "petty-with-a-prier" him into a life sentence.

Isn't America just a grand fucking place?

[kath]

20. And then there's all the people spending decades in jail for being found with a tinybit of marijuana

Greatest country in the world, my ass.

[cassiepriam]

17. Wasn't he supposed to get three years? And will he be out in a year on probation?

[Tyler Durden]

19. Don't we execute for treason?

Really. If this were a Democratic Party apparatchik instead of a Republican...

Fill in the blank.