Prosecutorial misconduct against fmr Sen. Ted Stevens

[lockman]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/na...story?track=rss

 

 

Prosecutorial missteps from trial of former Sen. Ted Stevens

Sen. Ted Stevens' attorneys

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Robert Cary, left, and Brendan V. Sullivan, attorneys for former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, express thanks to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder for dropping the charges of corruption against the 85-year-old former senator.

April 2, 2009

 

Prosecutorial missteps

 

During and after the trial of former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan had harsh words for the prosecution and its legal allies and their numerous missteps. After the conviction, Sullivan held four Justice Department lawyers in contempt of court -- including public integrity section chief William Welch -- a rare move that signaled an escalating frustration with the prosecution.

 

 

Sept. 29: The prosecution sends back to Alaska a key witness, Robert "Rocky" Williams, a former VECO employee who oversaw renovations to Stevens' Girdwood, Alaska, home. Sullivan excoriates prosecutors and threatens them with sanctions for not informing him or the defense about their decision not to call Williams to the stand.

 

"I find it very, very disturbing that this has happened, and am concerned about the appearance of propriety, or impropriety," Sullivan said. "After all, this is the search for the truth, and people ought not to forget about that."

 

Oct. 2: The defense requests a mistrial, saying prosecutors withheld exculpatory evidence when they failed to turn over FBI reports of interviews with former VECO Chief Bill Allen in which Allen reportedly said Stevens would have paid the full cost of the renovations if he had known about it.

 

An irate Sullivan temporarily suspends the trial and, after dismissing jurors, orders the government to turn over almost all of its files to the defense. Sullivan further lambastes the lead prosecutor, Brenda Morris, and says he does not trust the prosecutors to make full disclosure on their own.

 

"How does the court have confidence that the public integrity section has public integrity," Sullivan said. "This is not a trial by any means."

 

Oct. 6: In a bizarre scene at the end of the day, Sullivan catches Robert Bundy, lawyer to Allen, apparently signaling his client on the witness stand from the spectator section. After dismissing the jury, the judge threatens Bundy with contempt and expulsion from the courtroom.

 

"I couldn't believe what I was seeing," Sullivan said the next morning. "That's borderline obstruction of justice."

 

Feb. 13: After four Justice Department prosecutors ignored Sullivan's order to turn over all documents to Stevens' defense team related to a whistle-blower complaint, the judge holds the lawyers in contempt.

 

Requested by the defense in December as part of its motion for Stevens' conviction to be overturned, the documents supposedly contained information about Chad Joy, an FBI agent assigned to the case who complained that the prosecution was not turning over evidence and that his FBI partner, Mary Beth Kepner, had an "inappropriate relationship" with Allen.

 

Source: Times wire services

 

 

Say it aint so Eric?

[Colonel]

This was never about a search for justice, this was about Ted Stevens occupying a seat the Democrats wanted in their push for a veto proof Senate majority. Now that Stevens is no longer in their way, game over!

 

Using ACORN, the courts, the media, anything but the will of the people. Anyone even considering running for office can absolutely count on being smeared, factual or not. The Washington "mob" loathes an honest man almost as much as they fear and loathe the people that sent them there.

 

It is well past time for term limits across the board. Holding office is about service, it was never supposed to be a career. Change the emphasis from re-election fund raising to the task at hand, and gridlock and corruption have less time to dig in.

 

Of course, we have to pinch ourselves and realize that to accomplish this dream, would require that the biggest blood sucking ticks would have to vote themselves off that dog!!!

 

As If !!!

 

Colonel.....