Though premature, Bush's commutation of "Scooter" Libby's sentence is welcomed.
Just hours after a three judge panel of the D. C. Circuit Court of Appeals denied his request to stay of jail pending his appeal, President Bush has commuted "Scooter" Libby's sentence thereby preventing him from serving any jail sentence while leaving the rest of his sentence intact.
I have argued here that the judge's sentence of "Scooter" Libby was excessive in this case, and that some type of pardon is warranted.
While I think that Bush should have waited for the entire panel of the Appeals Court to rule on Libby's request before granting him the commutation to prevent making this decision prematurely, I still think it was a very good decision by the President, who found, like I did, that the sentence was excessive.
Labels: Constitutional Rights, Justice, Public Service, The Constitution
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 5:04 PM
15 Comments:
You're a fool. The sentence was harsh because the penalties for Libby's crimes were severe. Outing a CIA agent exposed all her co-workers. She was working in the field of fighting nuclear proliferation. It was not just an average obstruction/perjury case.
Oh, and stop trying to pretend you are a non-partisan website when all your spew is right-wing talking points.
A Constitutionalist??? PLEASE. You're supporting an administration that uses the Constitution as toilet paper. They believe they are above all law, so of course Bush didn't wait for any panel recommendation.
People like you make me sick. You shouldn't even have the priviledge of calling yourself an American.
"This blog site is dedicated to those of us who are interested in seeking the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about events that impact our lives"... But you think commuting Libby's sentence was the right thing to do? By commuting Libby's sentence, the decider has decided it's okay to lie, as long as you're a loyal little Bushie. What a load of crap.
Did Bush offer you a get out of jail free card for writing this piece of 'ass kissery' ?
“A commutation of sentence reduces the period of incarceration; it
does not imply forgiveness of the underlying offense, but simply
remits a portion of the punishment. It has no effect upon the
underlying conviction and does not necessarily reflect upon the
fairness of the sentence originally imposed. Requests for commutation
generally are not accepted unless and until a person has begun serving
that sentence. Nor are commutation requests generally accepted from
persons who are presently challenging their convictions or sentences
through appeal or other court proceeding. . . Generally, commutation
of sentence is an extraordinary remedy that is rarely granted.
Appropriate grounds for considering commutation have traditionally
included disparity or undue severity of sentence, critical illness or
old age, and meritorious service rendered to the government by the
petitioner, e.g., cooperation with investigative or prosecutive
efforts that has not been adequately rewarded by other official
action. A combination of these and/or other equitable factors may also
provide a basis for recommending commutation in the context of a
particular case. The amount of time already served and the
availability of other remedies (such as parole) are taken into account
in deciding whether to recommend clemency.”
Section 1-2.113 Standards for Considering Commutation Petitions
http://www.usdoj.gov/pardon/petitions.htm
"Appropriate grounds for considering commutation have traditionally
included disparity or undue severity of sentence ... ."
I rest my case!
With a commutation, Libby retains his right to plead the Fifth. With a pardon, that protection is removed.
You be the judge. This is high level CYA all the way. Anybody who can't see that is delusional.
That's what I love about you right wing wankers. You pretend to be sincere when all your vomit is right-wing crap. Libby deserved a jail sentence. History will judge you and your cronies as nothing less than fools that took the planet to the verge of World War 3 in just a few short years.
If Libby, who did NOT do the leaking of Valerie Plame's identity, deserves jail, then ALL those who did the leaking need to join him there.
Read the political notebook for more pros and cons on the commutation decision.
The Supreme Court made it harder Thursday for most defendants to challenge their federal prison sentences.
Appeals courts that review prison terms imposed by trial judges may deem them reasonable if they fall within federal sentencing guidelines adopted in the mid-1980s, the high court said.
The justices upheld a 33-month sentence given to Victor Rita for perjury and making false statements. Rita is a 25-year military veteran and former civilian federal employee.
The prison term falls within the guidelines range and was upheld by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, posing the question of whether sentences within the guidelines ordinarily will be considered reasonable.
That last part bears repeating:
"posing the question of whether sentences within the guidelines ordinarily will be considered reasonable."
There was nothing wrong with the sentence, 30 month seems on the lenient side to me, you would be able to see that if you were not a hard core closet Republican. Who lists Movies by Quentin Tarantino AND The Bible as favorites anyway. The 2 make as much sense as being pro-life AND pro-capital punishment. Mr. Common sense moral conservative, how moral do you feel defending Libby and Bush?
Oh please...what a bunch of self-righteous horses asses...just ignore them Osi. Seems the liberal readers of this blog are forgetting about ole Bill Clinton and all of his pardons. What a bunch of nonesense from these educated idiots. Ignore them Osi, ignore them.
Thanks, anon 12:58. Anon. 12:22 is so anti-Bush that he can't see straight through logic, so I won't even try. When those who "outed" Valerie Plame don't get to go to jail, but these anons want "Scooter", who had nothing to do with the "outing" to get to wear stripes -- you go figure!
Click for SURVEYUSA poll results from the 55% of respondents who know about the case.
I resent Cheney's hand in this.
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