Judge won't move Sen. Stevens' case to Alaska

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Judge won't move Sen. Stevens' case to Alaska
Wed Aug 20, 2008 2:42pm EDT

By James Vicini

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Indicted Republican Sen.
Ted Stevens failed in a bid on Wednesday to move his
corruption case to Alaska so he could have more time
in his home state to campaign for re-election.

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan sided with Justice
Department prosecutors by ruling that the case will
remain in Washington, where authorities say Stevens
filed false Senate financial disclosure forms.

Stevens, 84, was indicted last month on seven counts
of filing false forms from 2001 through 2006 by leaving
out more than $250,000 in gifts that he received
from an Alaska oil services company.

Stevens has served 40 years in the Senate and is the
longest-serving Republican senator in U.S. history.
His trial is set to start on September 22 with jury
selection and last about four weeks as he seeks to
clear his name before the November election.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN2044157520080820

[Blue_In_AK]

1. Oh, poor Ted.

He should grateful, if he's serious about that "speedy trial" thing. It would have probably taken until the election (at least) to find an unbiased jury here. People in Alaska either think he walks on water or they want to see him burn in hell. There's very little middle ground.

[Andy823]

2. I kind of like the

Burn in HELL idea myself! :evilgrin:

He only wanted to change the trial to Alaska, because he thought he could get a jury that would let him off! The man is a crook, let him rot in jail for what he has done.

[gratuitous]

5. I don't think he was ever serious about that "speedy trial" thing

I was quite surprised when Stevens pushed for an early setting, but now that his motion to change venue to Alaska has failed, I'm sure his attorneys are already getting the motion for a setover of the trial date ready. And they will want a much later trial setting than a week or a month from September 22. Look for a request for some time in March or April 2009, after he's had a chance to get pardoned by Chimpy in the family standard Bush looting before abandoning a place.

[ladywnch]

7. I was always on the "burn in hell" side myself n/t

[ronnykmarshall]

3. Oh dear ....

[Qutzupalotl]

4. Good.

That seemed like a shameless attempt to pack the jury.

[Blue_In_AK]

6. It was.

There's not one single person that I know of in the state of Alaska who doesn't have an opinion on old Ted. Forty years as a senator gave him a lot of visibility.

Read the comments at the end of the Anchorage Daily News article for a sampling. Some of them are pretty funny.

http://www.adn.com/news/politics/fbi/stevens/story/499537.html

[Lucky 13]

8. It's never a good sign when you don't have time for campaigning because of your CRIMINAL TRIAL

THIS former Alaskan thinks Stevens is a dickhead supreme!

[struggle4progress]

11. Ted could campaign along the following lines: "Keep the crooks out of Alaska! Re-elect Stevens!"

[WhiteTara]

9. I just love this.

Hoisted on his own petard...he demanded that speedy trial. He just didn't realize that * hadn't fixed all the courts and this judge isn't in on the game!!! Oh, I love this. Nasty little man, stevens.

[struggle4progress]

10. Here's my advice, Ted: just stand up as often as possible to give campaign speeches in court

[Matariki]

12. Moved to Alaska where he has 'friends' in the judiciary?

Ha!