Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Libby Gets 30 Months in Prison in C.I.A. Leak Case

From The New York Times:

Yes, Mr. Wells conceded implicitly, Scooter Libby, as he has been known since childhood, came from a privileged background. But there are privileged people “who don’t do squat for their country, who don’t help others,” Mr. Wells said, in contrast to the “exceptional public service” of his client.

Mr. Wells said Mr. Libby had already been punished, through “public humiliation,” hate mail, the virtually certain loss of his license to practice law and the desire of some people to make him “the poster child” for all that has gone wrong with the Iraq war. Mr. Libby’s family has also suffered, the lawyer said.

“He has fallen from public grace,” Mr. Wells said, his voice dropping to a hush. “It is a tragic fall, a tragic fall.”

But the prosecutor, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, argued that the defendant had shown “absolutely no contrition,” and that the court needed to send a message that lying in a criminal investigation can never be excused.

“Truth matters,” Mr. Fitzgerald said. “The whole system depends on that.”

Uh, not exactly. See Dershowitz. Or look around you.
But when you get caught lying this big, you should pay. See Sopranos.
The big question is whether he stays out pending an interminable appeal and the end-of-term pardon.
Or maybe he could share a celebrity cell with Paris.

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