I Am STILL Troubled By The Senator Ted Stevens' Justice Department INJUSTICE, So I Applaud This Piece From The Louisville Courier Journal. Read More.

Holder's just move

In just two months at the helm of the U.S. Department of Justice, Attorney General Eric Holder has already distinguished himself in a big way and shown that the problem-plagued department has entered a new era.

This week, Mr. Holder asked that all charges against former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens be dropped, and that he not stand a new trial for the corruption charges that earned him a felony conviction late last year -- which also helped end his long Senate career.

Mr. Holder's action follows a federal judge upbraiding Justice prosecutors with the department's Public Integrity Unit during the trial and slapping several of them with contempt charges for failing to comply with a court order.

After reviewing "the totality of the circumstances," Mr. Holder said, "I have determined that it is in the interest of justice to dismiss the indictment and not proceed with a new trial." Mr. Holder also promised a follow-up investigation of the prosecution.

The behavior that got Mr. Stevens in legal trouble -- taking a load of gifts, including a massage chair and a puppy, and not reporting them -- still stinks and caps his career with some skuzz that even a set-aside verdict won't erase.

But when prosecutors -- especially those from an "integrity" unit -- turn out to be just as skuzzy, then more than one person's fate is at stake. The confidence of the American people has been shaken -- and unfortunately, after the direction of Alberto Gonzales, confidence in the Justice Department had already eroded.

That's why Mr. Holder's action regarding Mr. Stevens is so important: The new Attorney General saw a tainted verdict and jettisoned it. Unlike actions under the Bush administration, politics -- Mr. Stevens is a Republican; Mr. Holder was appointed by a Democratic president -- played no part in Mr. Holder's move.

"The Department of Justice must always ensure that any case in which it is involved is handled fairly and consistent with its commitment to justice," Mr. Holder said.