Libby's Lawyers Hope To Put Prison On Hold

VP's Former Chief Of Staff Faces 30-Month Sentence For Role In CIA Leak Case

(CBS/AP)  Attorneys for I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby are preparing a last-ditch effort to delay the former White House aide's 2½-year prison sentence.

Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was sentenced Tuesday for lying and obstructing the CIA leak investigation. He became the highest-ranking White House official sentenced to prison since the Iran-Contra affair.

He requested leniency but a federal judge said he would not reward someone who hindered the investigation into the exposure of a CIA operative, Valerie Plame. Her husband had accused the administration of twisting intelligence to justify the Iraq war.

"Mr. Libby failed to meet the bar. For whatever reason, he got off course," said U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton, adding that the evidence of Libby's guilt was overwhelming.

Libby's attorneys immediately sought to put the prison term on hold until his appeals have run out. Walton said he saw no reason to do so but reluctantly gave Libby's attorneys until Thursday to submit legal papers on the issue.

"When the Libby appeal comes, it surely will contain a section on Judge Walton's decision to include in his sentencing rationale the Plame leak, even though no one was ever charged with that crime," CBS News legal analyst Andrew Cohen

"The use of such evidence is a hot-button issue now in federal sentencing law, with judges and scholars all scrapping over when it can be used by judges and when it cannot be," Cohen said.

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald — who had called for Libby to spend up to three years in prison — will oppose the request.

"We need to make the statement that the truth matters ever so much," Fitzgerald said.

Delaying the sentence would give President Bush more time to consider calls from Libby's allies to pardon the longtime aide.

Mr. Bush, traveling in Europe, declined to say Wednesday whether he may pardon Libby.

"Yesterday was a very sad day for Scooter and his family," Mr. Bush told reporters, adding that his "heart goes out" to them.

Libby did not apologize and has maintained his innocence.

"It is respectfully my hope that the court will consider, along with the jury verdict, my whole life," he said in brief remarks in court before the sentencing, his first public statement about the case since his indictment in 2005.

Libby was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice for lying to investigators about his conversations with reporters about Plame. Fitzgerald questioned Bush and Cheney in a probe that became a symbol of the administration's deepening problems.

"Mr. Libby was the poster child for all that has gone wrong in this terrible war," said defense attorney Theodore Wells. "He has fallen from public grace. It is a tragic fall, a tragic fall."

A Republican stalwart, Libby drew more than 150 letters of support from military commanders and diplomats who praised his government service from the Cold War through the early days of the Iraq war.

Walton also fined Libby $250,000 and placed him on two years probation after his prison sentence expires. There is no parole in the federal system, but Libby would be eligible for release after two years.

[infidel_us]

"WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage was the source who revealed the identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame to syndicated columnist Robert Novak in 2003, touching off a federal investigation, two sources familiar with Armitage's role tell CNN."

So all Libby got nailed for was having a bad memory after two years. That's great. I'm sure Bush's (in)justice department is really proud of themselves for taking this "criminal" off the streets.

And Sandy Burgler......he must have had a "Get Out of Jail Free" card.

[advanceus]

I feel that this guy is the scape goat for our worthless Vice President, but unless he talks we will never know. I also think Bush knows that is why there is a pardon on the board. What happened to "You do the crime - you do the time". There would not be a pardon on the board if John Q. Citizen did the same.

[drummer94]

..."when the music stops, you don't want to be the one without a chair." Paris's lawyers were hoping the same thing.

[cozzicon]

He'll be pardoned.

Either party nearly always pardons their convicted.

It's wrong- but pardoning these people is a no cost move for either party.

[realpatriot1]

infidel_US,

Armitage was the first but he wasn't alone. Libby's own notes show that Bush & Cheney authorized the release of information in the National Intelligence Estimate to out her. Those notes aren't enough evidence to get a criminal conviction by themselves if people can stonewall and get away with it.

Libby's memory defense did not fool 2 Grand Jurys or a criminal jury or the entire Republican appointed Federal Court of Appeals
or the republican federal prosecutor or the Bush appointed trial judge. The system has found him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Every single Judge who has seen the full evidence in this case has reached the same conclusions, that:1) The underlying crimes are of the utmost seriousness and damaging to national security,and, 2) that Libby is guilty beyond any reasonable doubt. That's why he's being given more prison time than the watergate defendents got and it's coming from a Bush appointed judge.

[infidel_us]

realpatriot1,

If all that smack were true, it seems like it wouldn't have stopped with Libby. Face it, it was political. Plame wasn't covert...so what was the crime? Perjury and obstruction.....same stuff they tried to nail Clinton on (only it was proven that he really DID lie under oath.)

[richzurb]

Why should he be different than any other criminal. Put him away now. If he wins his appeal so be it.

[realpatriot1]

infidel_US,

Who says it stops with Libby? The Grand Jury hasn't been disbanded. When the first Grand Jury ran its course a Regan appointed federal judge approved the appointment of a second grand jury that's still in existence. Fitzgerald has said that he doesn't expect to bring more charges but he hasn't ruled it out. Unsealed indictments that haven't yet been acted upon(without the Justice Department's approval) is a distinct possibility.

If you don't think the smack is true research it. Here's a hint, you won't find the truth on Fox or CBS or any of the mainstream media sources.

It was proven that Libby lied under oath and on what the republican courts considered to be a far more serious matter.

Plame was covert. The CIA said so. The right wing media has lied. What a shocker!

[infidel_us]

Plame was covert. The CIA said so. The right wing media has lied. What a shocker!
Posted by realpatriot1 at 10:37 AM : Jun 06, 2007

Well wait a minute......first they said she wasn't. Now you're saying the CIA says she was? Sounds like the CIA is pulling a Libby. Better see some indictments on that!

I know how badly libs want to see ANYONE in the Bush administration disgraced and imprisoned. But I'm not willing to send up a relatively innocent man just to appease a bunch of libs.....not when a guy like Sandy Burgler is running around lose. What he did was much, much worse.

And since when are you libs all concerned about spilling "covert" information? I don't recall you being all that upset when the NYT spilled the beans over monitoring terrorists cell phone or banking. What a bunch of two faced losers.

[rharrin1]

I know how badly libs want to see ANYONE in the Bush administration disgraced and imprisoned. But I'm not willing to send up a relatively innocent man just to appease a bunch of libs.....not when a guy like Sandy Burgler is running around lose. What he did was much, much worse.

Posted by infidel_us at 10:50 AM : Jun 06, 2007

If it was during a war scooter would be up for treason not much comparison with Berger.

[realpatriot1]

Infidel_US,

The CIA never siad she was not covert. They initially didn't want to comment at all for obvious reasons to anyone with a brain.

Do you think the terrorists don't know their cellphones are being bugged? The NYT didn't tell the terrorists the names of the individuals doing the bugging.

I make no excuses for Sandy Berger. If the federal courts can find enough evidence to convict him k like they've found with Libby then you should take your complaint to the Republican Justice Department.

I have to ask though, why is his action far worse? Does Iran have nuke technology and has nuke material been passed along on the black market because of Berger? If so, prove it in court like Libby's guilt was.

[infidel_us]

realpatriot1,

I appreciate the debate, but it's going no where. I'm not going to change your mind and you're not going to change mine. We'll have to leave it at "agree to disagree."

By the way, it was still Armitage who first leaked her name to Novak.....and where is he?

[pepperp1]

I%u2019ll fire anyone in my administration who%u2026la la la, No thank you Mr. Libby for your public service, you obstructed justice and delayed Mr. Fitzgerald until after the 2004 election and our knowledge of the WH smear campaign geared to hid the fraudulent intelligence on the mushroom cloud threat and GB big lie about his administration not being involved at the risk of endangering our country. Yeah, they may owe you a pardon but we consider you worse than a felon.

[infidel_us]

Maybe Libby will be honored to share his cell with William "Cold-Cash" Jefferson (D-LA). Libby will get pardoned. Jefferson won't.

[realpatriot1]

infidel_US,

Maybe your mind will change when an American city is nuked.

So everyone's trying to protect Armitage...right.

Why don't all these administration officials talk to reporters about other anti-terror operations? You can still blame Clinton.

Pathetic.

[lastdance2]

Libby's Lawyers Hope To Put Prison On Hold

The most wanted and expected :
B*i*t*c*h - To enter onto :

"Queens Row" -
"The Girls Tier"

Them Con's - Are Going To :
Loooove Him ! ! ! !

Lastdance