Conyers warns Justice official Fifth Amendment wont stop interview

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

Lawmaker warns Justice official Fifth Amendment won't stop interview
By Terry Kivlan, CongressDaily

House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., on Tuesday warned Justice Department official Monica Goodling that she has to appear for questioning on her role in the fired federal prosecutors affair even though she intends to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.

In a letter to her lawyer, John Dowd, Conyers cited "long-standing U.S. Supreme Court precedents" finding that witnesses who seek the protection of the Fifth Amendment might be required to invoke it on a question-by-question basis.

Goodling, who served as Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' counsel and liaison to the White House before she took a leave of absence, informed the committee last month that she would not answer questions about the removal of eight U.S. attorneys late last year. She was one of six top Justice officials summoned for interviews by committee staffers investigating whether the firings were politically motivated.

Full story: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=36532&dcn=e_gvet

[aquart]

1. God bless him.

With any luck, that super Christian will feel like Saint Sebastian at the end of the interview.

[lovuian]

2. I predict Don't Rememberitis

the virus is contagious

[LiberalHeart]

3. If she answers even one question, doesn't she then blow her opportunity to take the fifth?

[Bukowski Fan]

5. I'm not a legal expert

but I don't think so. It can be evoked on a question-by-question basis, therefore, it cannot be a blanket protection.

"What is your name?"

"Monica Goodling, Sir"

"GOTCHA BITCH!"

[soothsayer]

7. That's the way I remember it. You can accidentally waive your right

to plead the fifth, outside of saying what yer name is and taking yer oath.

[SaveOurDemocracy]

4. The visual will be very damning ...

Picture them asking her reasonable and pertinent questions, and her repeatedly invoking the fifth ammendment. :hide:

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

9. Reasonable and pertinent questions?

If it's like many of these sessions, the questioner will give a long speech, full of preconception, accusation, innuendo. The sentences will be long and convoluted, full of verbal commas, semicolons, and other obscure punctuation. Inside the speech will be one or more questions, hiding behind the strange rhetoric.

If I was the one being questioned, I'd think that "I plead the fifth" sounds a lot more intelligent than "did you ask a question?" Those of us who are "attention span challenged" would have a tough time sitting at the inquisitee's table.

Remind me: what is she accused of? Lying about remembering something she should have known?

[lizbitchwitchy]

6. Yeah well

Doesn't that damned patriot's act give her no fifth amendment right to plead? It takes away every other goddamnd right or liberty - it's got to be in there somewhere.

The nerve of these bastards using their "rights" like they didn' sign them all away for us aready. STOP THE INSANITY! OFF WITH THEIR HEADS already!

[Solly Mack]

8. Good! Was hoping they'd go that route