Libby's lawyers want to subpoena reporters

[sabra]

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/13673695.htm

Libby's lawyers want to subpoena reporters



WASHINGTON - Lawyers for a former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney told a federal judge Friday they want to subpoena journalists and news organizations for documents they may have related to the leak of a CIA operative's name.

In a joint filing with prosecutors, lawyers for I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, 55, warned U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton that a trial likely will be delayed because of their strategy to seek more subpoenas of reporters' notes and other records.

Libby was indicted last year on charges that he lied to FBI agents and a federal grand jury about how he learned CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity and when he subsequently told reporters.

[SpiralHawk]

1. ARRAGGHRRORWR

ARRAGGHRRORWR

[uppityperson]

2. Delay to past the fall election season?

[HereSince1628]

3. For sure, and when they refuse, Luskin moves for mistrial

because he claims his client cannot get exculpatory evidence.

[janx]

4. HAHAHAHA!!!

All this will do is show how intimate the government and media were. Ultimately, it'll do more harm than good.

[Mithras61]

5. Aside from being a delaying tactic...

this is likely to fall flat on it's ugly face, since the reporters involved have supposedly already turned over the documents to the independant prosecutor, and a simple discovery should do the trick. I won't be surprised if the judge allows this, but it is mostly just a HUGE waste of time and everyone involved KNOWS this. They are just trying to delay the start of the actual trial until after the election.

[napi21]

6. Wouldn't they get this info via Discovery?

I don't understand the need for subpoenas? It sounds like they want to delay the trial, but WHY? Surely they don't hope to postphone it until after November!

[lovuian]

7. A delay tactic so that can give more time for Bush Regime...

but it will definitely put the news media in the hot seat...

[MGKrebs]

8. He wants to subpoena records that Fitz hasn't already?

Hmmm. Possibly very interesting.

He would get to see everything that Fitz has through discovery (hey, I watched My Cousin Vinny), so what else does he think is out there?

If I'm the judge, I would like to request a list of requested targets and substantiated reasons why they are on the list. And have it to me by 1/27.

And if it looks like a frivolous delaying tactic, I would threaten with contempt!

[HuffleClaw]

9. to drag it out for a year or so...

or at least until AFTER the midterm elections? oh, and to do their usual 'lets blame the liberal media' game.

[A Simple Game]

11. And right after the midterm elections, we have

two full years to forget about the pardon(s).

[CJCRANE]

10. Double-take: thought it meant al-Libby, so-called al-Qaeda #3

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0510/dailyUpdate.html

[DeepModem Mom]

12. NYT: Lawyers in C.I.A. Leak Case Seek to Subpoena Journalists

Lawyers in C.I.A. Leak Case Seek to Subpoena Journalists
By DAVID JOHNSTON
Published: January 21, 2006


WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 - Lawyers for Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff told a federal judge on Friday that they would seek to subpoena reporters and news organizations to obtain additional documents that could assist in his defense in the C.I.A. leak case.

In legal papers filed in federal court, the lawyers for Mr. Cheney's former aide, I. Lewis Libby Jr., did not identify the reporters or news organizations that they intended to subpoena nor did the lawyers identify what kind of information might be sought.

But the lawyers told the federal district judge, Reggie B. Walton, in the filing that Mr. Libby's trial could be delayed by the effort to gather more information from journalists who could be expected to resist the subpoenas. No trial date has been set.

The filing on Friday was a joint submission by the defense and the prosecution, made at the request of the judge in advance of a Feb. 3 hearing on the status of the case. The legal paper, a road map to unresolved issues in the case, suggested there could be bruising legal fights ahead.

The combative tone of the statements by Mr. Libby's defense team seemed to underscore the assertions of his lawyers that they intended to conduct an aggressive legal strategy. Mr. Libby has pleaded not guilty....


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/21/national/21libby.html

[rzemanfl]

13. The New York Times ignored Gore's speech, maybe it is time

we ignore the New York Times. Besides, Libby is under orders to try to run out the clock so that his trial comes after the November elections so that the Repukes don't have to steal as many votes as they would otherwise.

[KoKo]

14. Trying to make more reporters fearful so they will attack Fitzgerald is

what's likely, too. If there are any honest reporters who have information this will tie them up and they are going to be very careful to be good "Bushbots" for fear of all the legal fees or losing their job or going to prison.