Judge: Libby Sentence Docs Can Go Public

A federal judge said Thursday he will release more than 150 letters he received regarding next week's sentencing of former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.

Some of the letters to the Court urge leniency for Libby, and some express "opprobrium" at his actions and call for "the imposition of a substantial prison sentence," says CBS News Justice Department reporter Deirdre Hester.

Libby, who was convicted in March of perjury and obstruction in the CIA leak case, had asked that the letters not be released. Attorneys for several news organizations argued that the law required the letters be made public. U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton agreed, citing a need for transparency.

Several media outlets, including bloggers, who covered the trial, had asked the Court to release the letters before the sentencing next Tuesday, arguing that the public is entitled to see them, Hester reports.

The letters are significant because they provide a good indication of who Libby's supporters are — and who might be paying his legal bills. Many people are interested in whether Vice President Cheney has in any way come to Libby's defense, Hester says.

The Vice President's press secretary, Lea Ann McBride, would neither confirm nor deny whether Cheney had sent a letter to the judge, CBS News Radio White House correspondent Mark Knoller reports.

"The court has received more than 150 sentencing letters in this case, some urging leniency for the defendant and some expressing opprobrium at the defendant's actions and calling for the imposition of a substantial prison sentence," Walton wrote.

The letters will be released after Libby is sentenced June 5, Walton said. Addresses and other personal information will not be released.

Libby was convicted of lying about his conversations with reporters about former CIA officer Valerie Plame, whose secret position was revealed in a 2003 newspaper column. Libby was not the source for that story, but a jury found that he made several false statements to leak investigators and obstructed the investigation.

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has asked that Libby receive up to three years in prison. Libby is expected to ask for no jail time.