DeLay could avoid public 'perp walk' (Austin American-Statesman)

[kurth]

DeLay could avoid public 'perp walk'
New warrant allows him to be booked away from Austin's potential media circus.
By Laylan Copelin
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Thursday, October 20, 2005

U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, might not want to be tried in Travis County on money-laundering charges — and he also may skip getting booked in front of a media circus expected at his first Travis County court appearance Friday.

State District Judge Bob Perkins on Wednesday issued an arrest warrant for the former U.S. House majority leader that allows DeLay to be booked in any Texas county, including in his hometown of Sugar Land, away from the media throng expected in Austin.

Until Wednesday's warrant was issued, DeLay had only been summoned to appear in 331st District Court at 9 a.m. Friday. The warrant, which requires a defendants to be booked, then could have been issued in court that day, and DeLay would have gone downstairs to be photographed and fingerprinted on the first floor of the Travis County Criminal Justice Center. The booking room has a wall of windows that would have allowed the news media to record the moment.

Under the law, only the prosecutor, in this case District Attorney Ronnie Earle, may completely waive the booking. Earle chose not to make an exception in DeLay's case...

http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/metro/stories/10/20delay.html

[texpatriot2004]

1. Thank you Mr. Earle. That was mighty kind of you. n.t

[calimary]

11. A little mortification is good for the soul.

I'm glad that one rule wasn't waived for him. For ONCE. How many other rules and regs has delay waived or had waived for himself up til now? How many times has he been able to game the system? About time he had to suffer a little for what he's done. Too bad it ISN'T going to be a public perp walk, though.

[rosesaylavee]

2. I am sure the media will have some photos of

Tommie wherever he chooses to turn himself in.

[acmavm]

3. Yeah, like they'd do this for anyone else. DeLay deserves to have to

have his arrest preserved for posterity in pictures for all the harm he's done, the crimes he's committed.

Believe me, I do mean crimes. Anyone else pulling what DeLay has would have been up on federal fraud charges LONG AGO.

[acmejack]

5. I want to see if the Austin paper publishes the mug shots.

They are happy to print all the regular people's pictures.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

4. He's going to Fort Bend County.

Apparently that's the county in which he congealed from some nuclear waste and scum, and then went on to be an exterminator and congressman.

[quaoar]

6. He was indicted more than a week ago

How many other defendants get to take that long to turn themselves in?

Answer: None.

He should have been given two choices: Return to Texas and surrender immediately or be arrested in D.C. and extradited.

[jamesinca]

7. Treat him like any other suspected criminal

I don't think political or white collar criminals should be given special treatment in this stage. It is fingerprinting and picture taking with a cute little name board. I think maybe he should be given some extra library hours or something while in the big house, but no favorites otherwise. I don't believe a person who steals a TV should be put into a pod with extremely violent people. I don't believe those who steal millions and destroy hundreds of lives should be put in minimum security prisons with gardening classes. I think it should be the other way around with the current prison system that we have.

I am not worried about Tommy getting raped, I am sure he will set up a system to supply the prisoners with cigarettes and other paraphernalia and avoid all of that, he is good at that kind of thing you know.

[Barrett808]

8. There will still be a mug shot on The Smoking Gun n/t

[wakeme2008]

9. I do not know about Texas

But in Florida I can get the booking photo of anybody. And the smoking gun are experts at this type of thing.

Within hours Delay's booking photo will be on the net.

[kurth]

10. Booking photos are public records in Texas

Considering the level of publicity involved, DeLay's official paperwork and lovely photographs will be released to the press within hours of his appearance.

[progressivebydesign]

12. I don't get it. He has a warrant out on him.. WHY isn't he there?

Do all people with warrants out for their arrest have the luxury of deciding WHEN to drop by for booking?

[kurth]

13. You can avoid 'immediate' arrest if you have an attorney

If it is a non-violent crime and you are not deemed an immediate safety threat, your attorney can "arrange" a time and place for you to formally "surrender" to the authorities for booking. This is standard procedure in many jurisdictions.

[cascadiance]

14. It's time to pay the piper, Hot Tub Tom!

You've been building up your "capital" a lot for this moment! You can't avoid the exposure now!