Government screws up Moussaoui case
Unabashed Greed
13-03-2006, 18:17
This is simply amazing, and I'd be a ton more angry if it weren't so typical.
The government prosecutors broke the rules in a slam dunk case against Zacarias Moussaoui, the 9-11 conspiritor. And, now the judge is considering whether to declare a mistrial because of it.
US judge considers dismissing Moussaoui case (http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/afx/2006/03/13/afx2590484.html)
The Nazz
13-03-2006, 18:23
The chances of a mistrial are slim, but there's a very real possibility that the death penalty will be taken off the table as a result of this latest botch-up. Personally, I'm opposed to the death penalty for other reasons, but if there's prosecutorial misconduct in a case as high-profile as this one, what chance does a poor slob in a state court against a prosecutor who's willing to do whatever it takes to look "tough on crime" in an election year?
The South Islands
13-03-2006, 18:43
The article doesn't tell what the alleged violations are.
Is there a link to exactly what the prosecution is accused of doing?
The Nazz
13-03-2006, 18:53
The article doesn't tell what the alleged violations are.
Is there a link to exactly what the prosecution is accused of doing?
This one does (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11808377/).
An angry federal judge unexpectedly recessed the death penalty trial of confessed al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui to consider whether government violations of her rules against coaching witnesses should remove the death penalty as an option....
The stunning development came at the opening of the fifth day of the trial as the government had informed the judge and the defense over the weekend that a lawyer for the Transportation Security Administration had coached four Federal Aviation Administration witnesses in violation of the rule set by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema. The rule was that no witness should hear trial testimony in advance.
“This is the second significant error by the government affecting the constitutional rights of the defendant and the criminal justice system in this country in the context of a death case,” Brinkema told lawyers in the case outside the presence of the jury.
The South Islands
13-03-2006, 19:06
Interesting.
Are these rules commonplace for trials, or are these special rules set by the judge?
Gauthier
13-03-2006, 19:19
Is anyone surprised by this?
The United States has a habit of not practicing what it preaches and it comes back to haunt them.
Spread Freedom and Democracy? The way they propped up Ngo Dinh Diem, The Shah, Gus Pinochet, Fred Marcos, Saddam Hussein, etc?
Decry human rights violations by other nations? Yeah, let's talk about that when Abu Ghraib, Gitmo and all those CIA black facilities are shut down.
Bring criminals to justice? Yeah, going on the logic that "If you are not a criminal you have nothing to hide," then perhaps if the other guy is guilty as hell then you have no need to coach witnesses?
Free Soviets
13-03-2006, 19:24
This is simply amazing, and I'd be a ton more angry if it weren't so typical.
is there anything this government can't screw up? i mean, seriously now, at this rate they have to be actively trying to get these sorts of results.
Unabashed Greed
13-03-2006, 20:09
is there anything this government can't screw up? i mean, seriously now, at this rate they have to be actively trying to get these sorts of results.
You just gotta wonder sometimes.