Siegelman released pending appeal; Scrushy deemed a flight risk
From the B’ham News:
Former Gov. Don Siegelman, who has spent the past nine months behind bars, will be freed from prison today after a court ruled there were substantial questions about his conviction in a government corruption case, his lawyer said.
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in a ruling issued Thursday granted Siegelman’s request to be released on bond while he appeals his case.
…
But in another ruling issued Thursday the Atlanta-based appellate court refused to release Siegelman’s co-defendant, HealthSouth founder Richard Scrushy, said his attorney, Art Leach.
Federal judges wrote that Siegelman is not a flight risk and has established that his appeal will raise a “substantial question of law or fact” that could result in the reversal of his conviction.
Siegelman can now participate in a congressional dog and pony show and is in fact both “enthusiastic” and “delighted” about doing so. I can’t blame for wanting to testify in front of a committee led by fellow Democrats eager to cast stones at the Bush administration. Yet, for some reason Siegelman chose not to take the stand under oath where it mattered most: his own trial.
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March 28th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Why did Judge Mark Fuller take nine months to make a manuscript available. Since Mike Hubbert has described the appeal and subsequent release pending appeal as a formality, why was this formality not made possible months ago?
March 31st, 2008 at 11:15 pm
Compare Siegelman’s delays to the the speedy justice handed out to Brent Wilkes–out after 5 weeks on an appeal based on leaks to the media. (Ahem, Mr. Curran, you haven’t heard of any leaks that might have impacted the Siegelman jury have you?)
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20080329-9999-1m29wilkes.html
Of course, it’s a somewhat different case, involving different court and so on but, wow, I guess the resources at the DoJ are there for some cases and just not there for others.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:17 am
Hallelujah!!
The first of many dominoes has fallen.
Turdblossom has already said something like: “I fully expect to be indicted by the end of the year.”
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:29 am
Hi Jack and numbertwopencil, How wonderful to think of the Siegelman family together in their home and Don, accessible to his lawyers!
Wow, what sour grapes on the part of the Birmingham News: “I can’t blame for wanting to testify in front of a committee led by fellow Democrats eager to cast stones at the Bush administration.”
These people remain oblivious to the fact that the Judiciary Committee has both reason and authority to subpoena Karl Rove, Harriet Miers, and Josh Bolten–and anyone else that they have good reason to think are subverting justice and undermining the rights of American citizens, such as being able to expect that the laws of our country will be applied to everyone in an equitable manner.
Jack, maybe the second domino will be the actual enforcement of the subpoenas!!!
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:46 am
gen, just to clarify - the sour grapes quote you used were my words, not those of the B’ham News.
Artur Davis has since suggested Siegelman might not want to testify because his own statements might be used against him.
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Thanks, Brian. I stand corrected on the point. I have read the reasoning behind Davis’s suggestion. Seems sound to me. What do you think?
April 2nd, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Davis is both an attorney and an overall sharp guy. I think he made his point quite delicately. The fact is that there is plenty of dirt on Siegelman (contrary to popular opinion he was convicted for a reason). As I indicated, Siegelman was initially enthused because he thought it would be a friendly atmosphere, but Davis tossed a bucket full of reality on him.
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:44 pm
Brian,”The fact is that there is plenty of dirt on Siegelman (contrary to popular opinion he was convicted for a reason).”
What part of the dirt specifically was it that got Siegelman convicted–the crimes or the noncrimes?
April 3rd, 2008 at 5:06 am
Brian…. would you mind …. posting your age and the number of years of formal education you have completed.. also… if you are under the age of 42 why are you a REPUBLICAN…. not in IRAQ keeping me SAFE?
April 3rd, 2008 at 5:08 am
Artur DAVIS would make and excellent Governor!
8 years and then an extended stay in the US Senate would be most welcome.
April 3rd, 2008 at 6:33 am
BOYCHIMP bush (aka lots of other pseudonyms), I’ll tell you this one time (I’m in the process of crafting formal standards for commenting). Habitual off topic comments will not be allowed. This blog is open to comments by anyone with few restrictions, but it is not a sounding board for saying whatever you feel on whatever topic you choose. Make sure your comments are somewhat germane to the topic in the post. Also, further comments like #9, which are both irrelevant and egregiously ignorant, will not be allowed. Start your own blog if you so choose. I’ll even add you to my blog roll.