Attention: Judge Roberts and Terror Case

[lala_rawraw]

By Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 17, 2005; A04

Judge John G. Roberts Jr. was interviewing for a possible Supreme Court nomination with top Bush administration officials at the same time he was presiding over a terrorism case of significant importance to President Bush.

Roberts recently released details of the months-long interviewing process showing that he met with Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and other administration officials about the Supreme Court job while sitting on the three-judge panel that eventually allowed Bush to resume the use of military officers to conduct trials of terrorist suspects held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The "military commissions" are central to Bush's anti-terrorism strategy.

Roberts met with Gonzales on April 1, six days before hearing oral arguments in the case, which resulted in a unanimous decision in favor of the administration. Assistant Attorney General Peter D. Keisler, a top Gonzales deputy, argued the case on behalf of the administration.

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Nobody is alleging that Roberts sided with the administration to curry favor with Bush, but some academics say Roberts should have, at the very least, considered stepping aside to make sure there was not an appearance of conflict. (nice of post to tell us, no?)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/16/AR2005081601561_pf.html

Well kids, get your phones, emails and screams to work