Libby Ordered to Begin Serving Supervised Release (Judge "somewhat perplexed'')

[sabra]

Source: Bloomberg

July 12 (Bloomberg) -- A judge told Lewis ``Scooter'' Libby to begin serving a term of supervised release, while saying he was ``somewhat perplexed'' that President George W. Bush said the prison sentence he ordered for Libby was excessive.

Libby, freed by Bush from his 2 1/2-year prison sentence in the CIA leak case, was ordered by U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton to report to the probation office in Washington by the end of the day tomorrow. Libby, ex-chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was convicted in March of obstructing an investigation of the 2003 leak of a CIA official's identity.

Walton said he determined that Libby can still be required to serve two years of supervised release even after Bush commuted his prison sentence on July 2. Bush said the sentence imposed by Walton was ``excessive.''

The prison term was ``consistent with the bottom end'' of federal sentencing guidelines, Walton's opinion said today. ``The court is somewhat perplexed as to how its sentence could accurately be characterized as excessive.''

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a5UoGt.YH1SI&refer=home

[133724]

1. It would be just too bad if He violated his probation now wouldn't it....

[liberal renegade]

2. even if he did

violate his probation, i'm sure there'd be no repercussions....

[RamboLiberal]

3. Libby judge 'perplexed' by clemency

Source: LA Times

In an unusual expression of frustration, the judge who sentenced former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby to 30 months in jail, only to see the sentence commuted by President Bush, said he was "perplexed" by the act of clemency.

In his first public comments on the matter, U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton took issue with Bush's statement that the prison sentence ordered for Libby last month was "excessive." Walton defended the sentence, saying that he followed established legal precedents as well as a strict interpretation of federal sentencing guidelines that has been supported by Bush's own administration.

"In light of these considerations ... it is fair to say that the court is somewhat perplexed as to how its sentence could accurately be characterized as 'excessive,' " Walton wrote.

"Although it is certainly the president's prerogative to justify the exercise of his constitutional commutation power in whatever manner he chooses, the court notes that the term of incarceration imposed in this case was determined after a careful consideration of each of the requisite statutory factors."


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-libby13jul13,0,1576658.story?coll=la-home-center

[Cha]

4. Judge Walton should know by

now that bush just makes up shit.

[whistle]

5. Bush is a criminal and he is hiding his crimes, what is perplexing about that?

[texpatriot2004]

6. As I understand it, Scooter's sentence was half or less than half

of the maximum sentence for the crime he committed. It seems to me that an "excessive" sentence would be at least the maximum sentence, or perhaps more than the maximum sentence, thus it would be "excessive." Of course the thief in chief doesn't understand the larger words in the English language.

[Zensea]

7. The judge neglected to drink the kool-aid

It's that simple.

[AndyTiedye]

8. What Part of ABOVE THE LAW Doesn't He Understand?

[krkaufman]

9. Eh, Walton getting dissed by Bush is just desserts for the Republican.

If he wanted honesty and fairness, he's associated with the wrong political party.

[PSPS]

10. Is Walton really that dense? I thought he'd be an educated man.

Maybe these guys really do live their existence entirely outside the real world.

[Hekate]

11. The judge is decorous in his use of irony.He's not "perplexed", he's outraged...

...but is keeping a civil tongue in his head.

He is also NOT shutting up. Kudos to this gentleman.

Hekate

[Javaman]

12. I wonder how long this guy will still be a judge? nt