Judge In Craig Case Won't Rule Immediately

Senator Larry Craig's Lawyers Argue Case To Have Guilty Plea Withdrawn

(AP)  A federal judge took Sen. Larry Craig's request to withdraw his guilty plea under advisement on Wednesday, and the Idaho Republican announced plans to stay in Congress for the time being, omitting mention of an earlier commitment to resign Sept. 30.

Hennepin County Judge Charles Porter said he probably won't rule until next month on Craig's request, which stems from his earlier guilty plea in a men's room sex sting at the Minneapolis airport.

Craig didn't say just how long he planned to remain on the job.

“Today was a major step in the legal effort to clear my name,” Craig said in a statement. “The court has not issued a ruling on my motion to withdraw my guilty plea. For now, I will continue my work in the U.S. Senate for Idaho.”

Craig skipped the court hearing in Minnesota, a decision that his attorney, Billy Martin, described as routine for such a session.

During the hearing, Martin acknowledged the difficulty in getting the plea withdrawn, saying it is “near impossible, and it should be.” But he said Craig's conduct was not criminal.

Prosecutor Christopher Renz said the timing of Craig's decision to withdraw his guilty plea was political. Craig was arrested in a Minneapolis airport bathroom June 11, then entered his plea Aug. 8. Craig said he panicked in entering his plea.

“He sat and was able to think about it a thousand miles away at his apartment on the Potomac. He called me about it” and could have called others if he needed advice, Renz said.

Craig did not attend the hearing.

Legal observers said Craig faced a tough fight in convincing the court to allow him to withdraw his guilty plea on a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge. Minnesota law allows pleas to be withdrawn if a "manifest injustice" is shown. The term isn't defined in law, leaving it to judges to decide.

Craig was arrested by an airport police officer who said Craig had looked into his bathroom stall, and tapped his foot and moved his hand under the divider in a way that suggested he was looking for a sexual partner.

After news of his arrest and plea broke Aug. 27, he came under swift pressure from within his own party, and announced within days that he planned to resign by Sept. 30. He later suggested he might stay in office if he could overturn his plea.

His attorneys pursued a dual strategy, arguing both that Craig's conduct was not criminal and that the state didn't handle the plea properly.

Martin said Craig maintains he never intentionally touched airport police Sgt. Dave Karsnia, nor said anything to him.

"You should have either touching, or words, or a combination of the two," Martin said.

"I don't know," interjected Porter, and speculated that if he charged around the bench and ran yelling toward Martin, it would scare the attorney.

"It absolutely would," Martin said, to mild laughter.

Craig's attorneys also argued that the legal process wasn't properly followed, noting the plea petition didn't include a signature or any other indication a judge had accepted it. Porter directed more questions to Craig's attorneys, but his interruptions were mild and polite.

Pat Hogan, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Airports Commission and the prosecution team, said after the hearing that Craig knew what he was doing when he pleaded guilty and accepted culpability for his actions. He pointed out that Craig had more than eight weeks to consider his legal options from when he was arrested to when he entered his plea.

"The defendant unequivocally pleaded guilty to the crime of disorderly conduct," Hogan said.

Martin told reporters afterward that Craig committed no crime, but made a mistake in pleading guilty to one.

"Senator Larry Craig denies that he went into that restroom for anything other than to go to the restroom," he said.

Martin said that if the judge allows Craig to withdraw his plea, he will enter a not-guilty plea and ask a jury to decide.

[mudrose-2009]

Gee, it''s true what they say of bad pennies, they just don''t go away. Shoo!

Susan, the very idea of *** with a republican is enough to kill -- I would charge him with attempted murder of a police officer. That poor cop is probably still having nightmares!

Posted by SFTodd

Gee I wonder how the cops felt when they got to Barney Frank''s house and tried to sort out that gay prono ring?

[lars008-2009]

all he has to do is convert to the demonic-rat party,,,

they will welcome him with open _________

you fill in the blank,,, lol

hahahahaha

[ringading3]

Lets all give Craig a BI for this faux pas, and hope that he will not have to say BI to the Senate lunchroom. Maybe he can BI his way into the Democratic Party and sit side BI side with Barney Frank. I truly believe that Craig is not gay, so lets all say Good BI to this story?

[myidoncbs]

The "manifest injustice" in this case is that people like Larry Craig are running our government and that anybody is foolish enough to support him or his G-ayOldParty!

(And don''t take this to mean that I have anything against g-ay people. What I am opposed to is the hypocrisy of a closet homos3xual who gains power by opposing the rights of his own kind, and the Party that does the same.)

[nolalou]

SusanHelit,

First of all the question of rahter or not those hand movements, foot tapping , etc are crimes , depends on what the intent was. If it was to solicit s-e-x in exchange for money, then it''s a crime! Besides, if Senator Craig agreed with you, that no crime had been committed, why the hell did he plead guilty? He can''t claim it was because the arresting officer intimidated him in some way. The arrest was in June, but he didn''t enter a guilty plea until August.. plenty of time for him to consult a lawyer!

He said he would resign, now he says he won''t, he said he was guilty, now he says he''s not. This sleaze bag needs to go!

[cepe10-2009]

I think he should be able to try the case but Hennepin County is hard venue these are very ignorant and backwards officers of the court. The prosecutors arguments are laughable - anyone who believes anything that comes out of the district attorneys mouth is a fool. I hope he gets the trial, gets off, and the officer gets a false arrest charge brought agianst him.

This entrapment ploy produced no actual crime according to the written law.

[brianbwb-2009]

Craig signed a contract stating that he knew of the consequences of his plea, that it was not made under duress, and that he would not seek to withdraw the plea.

Isn''t it about time that "white" men are forced to honor that which they sign?

Craig should have better analyzed the situation before attempting to "analyze" the cop. Now he wants to drag the whole thing out, looks like he attempts to buy more time to complete his agenda, probably to pay off the houses, cars, and debts, and to set his kids up for life.

[lastdance2]

RE : SusanHelit

The S*e*x*u*a*l - Misconduct Complaints against Craig began in "1982"

Craig - Was accused with having S*E*X* - with Under Age Pages.
Like Foley - - Another - Closed door Investigation by - The FBI on behalf of :
The Republican (Nazi) Party

Mark Foley, Ted Haggard, Larry Craig
It has always been - The local Law Enforcement - Who has Investigated
these Actions and made the - Necessary - Criminal Complaints - Not the The FBI or
The US Justice Department

If you think for one moment - "The FBI" - The US Justice Department - Didn''''t have
Full Knowledge - That these People We''''re engaged in - Child S*e*x* - Child Predatory or
Homosexual Predatory activities. - You''''re Nuts ! !

Since your so confortable with Craig
Volunteer you own child as a - Page

Lastdance

[sftodd]

So, where''s the crime? Waving hands and tapping toes - I don''''t see it.
--------------------------------------
Posted by SusanHelit at 08:16 PM : Sep 26, 2007

Susan, the very idea of *** with a republican is enough to kill -- I would charge him with attempted murder of a police officer. That poor cop is probably still having nightmares!

[adasher1]

Roger, you have to be a little more patient with Larry Craig. When someone mistakenly pleads guilty and then accidentally resigns from the senate, it takes a lot of time and lawyers to rectify the situation. I think Craig will be rectified in the end. Posted by marcodele


LOL!!!!! PERFECT! I love it!!!! LMAO!!!! LOL!!! LMFBO!!!

[adasher1]

SusanHelit , let me come into your bathroom and wave my hand under your stall....would u like it? You would SUE me if I looked at your cleave in the office for crying out loud. You have NO IDEA how often this happens when I try to take the browns to the superbowl in a public pot. Look, I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE A QUEER COME ON TO ME WHILE I TAKE A DUMP!! Is that too hard to understand? Is there SOMEWHERE in the world that I can have a minute to collect my thoughts whilst I drop trash from my butt!?!?!?! Do you know how DISGUSTING it is to have a man attracted to my back side after a big bowl of chili, some fries, and a six pack?!?!? Leave me alone.

Again I ask%u2026should the cop have HAD *** with this perv to prove the point? I DO NOT THINK SO. It%u2019s called INTENT!!! ALL women know what that word means and I teach it to my OWN girls.

[walt1944-2009]

Larry Craig has to convince a judge that "THE DEVIL STILL MADE HIM DO IT!"! All Craig was doing in the stall was practicing his dance steps for his upcoming appearance in the hit TV show "Dancing with the Hypocrites"! Can he help it if the stall wasn''t big enough?

[stevex47]

The republicans(nazi''s) are soooo into "illegal" eavesdropping. But nowwww they are so against what this good cop did?

Just a little hypocrisy there....yet again. How dare he or anyone even attempt to blame this cop or that system for their immoral, unethical vile behavior.

Yet these same hypocrits will bash Bill Clinton out of one side of their mouth, and stick up for Criag out the other.

These folks need to go to re-hab for listening to the druggie Limbaugh for too long.

[burneb]

Going into a bar is strictly voluntary and not a necessity. In bars, there is a "reasonable expectation" that one might be solicited for ***, although a direct query for *** rather than a more subtle "lets go somewhere" would get a faceslap (woman to man) or facepunch (man to man) in any bar I have been to.
Going to an airport or bus station or similar place is more a necessity for many folks.
In laws of Wisconsin, and apparently most other states, there is not a "reasonable expectation" that one would be solicited for *** within a public restroom. In restooms more privacy is expected where private parts are bared, or because the secluded setting is more threatening. Soliciting *** from strangers is considered disorderly or lewd or lascivious conduct.
I certainly would not want to take my kids into a restroom where such behaviour is allowed. Policing airport restooms doesn''t happen because police want to do it, but because people complain to police complain about being hit up in restrooms.

[susanhelit]

Soliciting *** isn''t against the law - if he was - if it were, every bar in the country would go out of business overnight! Deciding to have *** in public, harrassing someone, invading their space, personal contact - those are against the law - but none of those happened here. So, where''s the crime? Waving hands and tapping toes - I don''t see it.

[susanhelit]

I''ve no sympathy nor liking for Craig at all. But I don''t see a crime here. Waving a hand, tapping a foot? Come on now.

The judge says that if he ran yelling at someone it''d scare them - but that doesn''t sound much like a crime to me. Anyone who is so fragile as to be terrorized by someone waving a hand or tapping a foot - whatever that may mean in some subcultures or groups - they''re too fragile to go outdoors. I just don''t see the crime here. Give me the slightest discussion of having *** in public, some type of agreement, a few words - and I can see it - but not just based on body language!

[lastdance2]

The S*e*x*u*a*l - Misconduct Complaints against Craig began in "1982"

Craig - Was accused with having S*E*X* - with Under Age Pages.
Like Foley - - Another - Closed door Investigation by - The FBI on behalf of :
The Republican (Nazi) Party

Mark Foley, Ted Haggard, Larry Craig
It has always been - The local Law Enforcement - Who has Investigated
these Actions and made the - Necessary - Criminal Complaints - Not the The FBI or
The US Justice Department

If you think for one moment - "The FBI" - The US Justice Department - Didn''t have
Full Knowledge - That these People We''re engaged in - Child S*e*x* - Child Predatory or
Homosexual Predatory activities. - You''re Nuts ! ! !

Video tapped - Statements : From former - "FBI agents" : Describing how - They delivered Young Boys - For S*e*x* Is evidence to that ! ! ! !

"Child Solicitation - Child Prostitution - Child Pimps" - The FBI - (Uncovered) - In one of it''s more Finest Moments

If those Young Boys, came from Juvenile Detention Centers. They may - "Not" - of had any
- Choice in the matter - That Activity - Now turns into a : - Child - S*e*x* - Slave Trafficking operation.

Contact - The Senate Judiciary Committee - Ask them to reveal - To the American Public :
The results from the Current Criminal Investigations against : - The FBI - (Child - S*e*x* - Slave Trafficking Opreations)

Lastdance

[rational_1]

Everytime I see Craig''s picture I involuntarily shudder and the word "ick" pops to mind.

[adian1-2009]

The guy seems not to have committed any crime at all. That he pleaded guilty for his personal gain --to keep it secret, this is, so he could remain a closeted gay-- is more than clear. But that in itself does not make him guilty of any crime at all. What he is guilty of is of being a liar for so many years and of having voted against equality for *** and other minorities so many times. But if he is going to be evicted of the senate for being his inmorality and for being a liar, then how many other republicans should be evicted from the senate? And what about Bush? Come on. Craig is nothing but a small cog in a huge machine called the Republican Party.

[marcodele]

It will be interesting to see if they both come to the same conclusion at the same time.