Breaking News: Mistrial declared in perjury trial of pitcher Roger Clemens

[SharonRB]

Source: Washington Post

The judge overseeing the perjury trial of famed former pitcher Roger Clemens declared a mistrial Thursday after prosecutors played a portion of a video that the jude deemed prejudicial.

U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton said prosecutors erred in playing video of congressional testimony referencing statements made by the wife of a "critical" witness in the case.

The declaration came on just the second day of testimony and after it took a week to pick a jury.

http://link.email.washingtonpost.com/r/NQU5FR/M9US4A/4V1BDQ/I07OKB/YSNG8/ID/h

For more information, visit washingtonpost.com




Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/crime-scene/post/possible-mistrial-in-roger-clemens-case-judge-says/2011/07/14/gIQATsPDEI_blog.html?wpisrc=al_national

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If the name Reggie Walton sounds familiar, he's the judge who handled the Scooter Libby trial.

[glinda]

1. Good because I am sick of "steroid" trials popping up during important other issues such as Murdoch.

[FiveGoodMen]

2. No kidding!

(Do they not think we know what they're up to with these distractions?)

[naaman fletcher]

3. I couldn't care less

One: I don't even care about the steroids issue, but I understand other people do.

But,

That is between Clemens and Major League Baseball. The government shouldn't be wasting its time with this.

[Javaman]

5. While the government shouldn't be wasting time on it...

it was Clemmon's who lied to the FBI.

It's not about steroids, it's about him lying.

If Clemmons wasn't such an asshole and lied to the FBI, none of this waste of our money would have taken place.

[glinda]

28. It is an intentional deviation. Springs up every time there is a major news event that might

damage Republicans.

[TheDebbieDee]

4. Meanwhile, no one has even been arrested for any of that

sub-prime homeowners loan mess..........

[Doctor Hurt]

6. so what?

If Clemens perjured himself, he should face consequences. There's more than enough prosecutors to go around to address your pet issues too.

[TheDebbieDee]

8. In Clemons case, the perjury seems to be a victimless crime.

They should invest time and money going after criminals that hurt people and families, criminals that profit from greatly from ripping off the general public that is chasing the American dream of owning their own home.

[Hawkowl]

14. What next?

Trying little leaguers and old men playing checkers for perjury? Every farcical trial highlights the lack of a JUSTICE system and a Kafkaesque LEGAL system.

:puke:

[Fearless]

15. He lied under oath to Congress. It's the law. If you don't like it, change it.

But we can't just pick and choose which laws to follow and which to ignore.

[Hawkowl]

17. We pick and choose all the time

How about prosecuting some of the testifying bankers? How about prosecuting some testifying BP executives?

You are absolutely delusional if you think that the politics doesn't play in a role in absolutely EVERY SINGLE CRIME PROSECUTED.

[Fearless]

22. The way to stop corruption isn't to be corrupt in different areas.

Politics shouldn't play a role and every crime should be prosecuted. You're absolutely right that it does and no doubt it will again. The question is whether one wants to solve that issue or not and when should we start now or later.

[Hawkowl]

24. Politics SHOULD play a role

Politics is how laws are determined in the first place. Apartheid, Jim Crow laws, torture memos, all these are laws but fundamentally unjust. I think you are oversimplifying.

[Fearless]

26. No. Activism should play a role in changing laws.

But laws should be enforced if they exist. Good or bad. You can't just pretend like laws don't exist if it suits your needs. Its the difference between chaos and society.

[naaman fletcher]

19. Sure we do...

The banks ignore the foreclosure laws.

Anyway, you should get a medal for lying to congress. They all lie 90% of the time and then make it a crime to lie to them. F them.

[Fearless]

23. It IS a crime to lie under oath to Congress. It's perjury, which is what he was charged with.

[AngryAmish]

20. You ARE a good German, aren't you!

[Fearless]

21. You tell me if it was an average Joe who lied to Congress under oath if he would be prosecuted.

It's not one law for the rulers and one for the ruled.

[RedCloud]

7. he should be arrested. He's a republican and he met with repugs last time.

Signing balls for them. You don't suppose he was getting their votes?

[TroglodyteScholar]

9. Well...THAT distraction fizzled prematurely.

Quick, US news media, find us some other unimportant bullshit to obsess over while we ignore news that actually matters!

[LibertyLover]

13. Agreed - certainly there has to be some pretty young blond

woman who is lost or people traumatized by seeing sharks at a beach somewhere that could be paraded about 24/7 as a distraction.

[blueclown]

10. Clemens Judge Declares Mistrial

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — The federal judge presiding over Roger Clemens’s perjury trial declared a mistrial Thursday, saying the government allowed the jury to hear inadmissible testimony that prejudiced it against Clemens.

“He is entitled to a fair trial and, in my view, he can’t get it now, and that was caused by the government,” the judge, Reggie Walton of United States District Court, said.

The prosecutors left the courthouse without speaking to reporters. Walton set a hearing date of Sept. 2 for them to reveal if they plan to retry the case, which was only two days into testimony. Normally when a mistrial is called, even further into a trial, double jeopardy is not an issue, some legal experts say.

Walton abruptly stopped the trial and scolded the prosecution for playing a videotape of the 2008 Congressional hearings on performance-enhancing drug use in baseball. The part of the tape that worried him included comments made by Representative Elijah E. Cummings, a Maryland Democrat, about the credibility of Andy Pettitte, Clemens’s onetime best friend and teammate, who was expected to be one of the star witnesses for the government.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/15/sports/baseball/clemens-judge-declares-mistrial.html?_r=1&hp

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This case should have been tried on its merits, but instead you had an overreaching prosecutor completely bungle the case.

[FSogol]

11. Well, if oil & tobacco execs are able to lie to Congress, why hold ballplayers to a higher standard?

:shrug:

[Badsam]

12. It pays to be a white republican

[rug]

16. Double jeopardy should have attached.

[LiberalLovinLug]

18. Could see that coming from a mile

He was buddies with Bush. Anyone in that circle is outside the law. They will always find a loophole. Wouldn't doubt it if the previous judge "accidentally on purpose" allowed that tainted evidence in to court knowing full well what would happen.

Sure there are more important issues, but it sickens me every time one of these mega-rich connected rethugs gets off scott free.

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[classysassy]

27. Point well taken

When will congress be indicted for lying to the public?