Bush judge to hear Scooter Libby indictment case

[SoCalDemocrat]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/28/AR2005102802306.html

http://www.dembloggers.com/story/2005/10/29/102634/16

This looks like bad news. This judge was a Reagan appointee, who was nominated to the court by Bush in 2001. This doesn't look good.

Note: This is my 3rd attempt to post this information, I don't know why my posts on this topic keep getting deleted.

"Judge Reggie B. Walton assumed his position as a United States District Judge for the District of Columbia on October 29, 2001, after being nominated to the position by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the United States Senate. Judge Walton previously served as an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia from 1981 to 1989 and 1991 to 2001, having been appointed to that position by Presidents Ronald Reagan in 1981 and George H. W. Bush in 1991. While serving on the Superior Court, Judge Walton was the court's Presiding Judge of the Family Division, Presiding Judge of the Domestic Violence Unit and Deputy Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division. Between 1989 and 1991, Judge Walton served as President George H. W. Bush's Associate Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy in the Executive Office of the President and as President Bush's Senior White House Advisor for Crime."

[StClone]

1. Why is this bad news?

We all know that Republicans/Conservative Judges just interpret laws and enforce their interpretation: they don't make law. :sarcasm:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. We can't ASSUME he's biased just because he was appointed by

a Republican president. Don't forget that the judge in the Terri Schiavo case was a Republican, and he ruled in favor of Michael Schiavo. One of the Republican-appointed judges on the DC Circuit panel in the Judith Miller contempt case wrote about the "plot against Joseph Wilson" and commented about how serious the leak case was. There are many good, fair judges who happen to have been appointed by Republicans. Unless there is some specific reason to believe this judge is likely to be biased -- and so far, I don't know of any -- I cannot assume he is. Most judges take their responsibility to apply the law in a neutral, nonpolitical manner very seriously. We are seeing the few wackos now only because, unfortunately, those are the ones Bush wants on the Supreme Court.

[H2O Man]

3. It's not bad. n/t

[TomInTib]

4. This is the guy who slapped the gag order on ...

Sibel Edmonds.
Asshat

[Mind_your_head]

5. Judge Reggie Walton is also the judged who Gagged Sibel Edmonds

eom

[Mind_your_head]

6. Should the prosecuter ask for the judge to recuse himself

Since he was appointed by the two bush presidents?

<snip>
On February 20, over 100 alumni, faculty and friends gathered in the first floor atrium of the law school to celebrate the appointment of the Honorable Reggie B. Walton '74 to the United States District Court, Washington, DC, by President George W. Bush. This is Judge Walton's third presidential appointment, having been appointed Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia by President Reagan from 1981 to 1989 and President George H. W. Bush from 1991 to 2001. Honored guests included the Honorable Bruce Lee '76, the Honorable Irma Raker '72 and the Honorable Andrew Sonner '63.
<snip>

From Walton's alma mater
http://www.wcl.american.edu/alumni/2002/02waltonappoint.cfm

[Dawgs]

8. I think it's good news for this very reason...

It blows Delay's request right out of the water.

[Mind_your_head]

9. Please read the link below regarding Walton & the Sibel Edmonds case

http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/07/06/fbi.translator/

<snip>
"The Court finds that the plaintiff is unable to establish her First Amendment, Fifth Amendment and Privacy Act claims without the disclosure of privileged information, nor would the defendants be able to defend against these claims without the same disclosures ... the plaintiff's case must be dismissed, albeit with great consternation, in the interests of national security," Walton wrote in the opinion.

<snip>

In the lawsuit, Edmonds claimed that the government leaked confidential information about her to several publications, which she says violated her rights under the Privacy Act.

She also alleged that the FBI violated her free speech and due process rights when it fired her, a termination she said was in retaliation for whistleblowing.

<snip>

Edmonds' lawyer, Mark Zaid, said in a statement that the government has gone too far.

"The decision today represents another example of the Executive Branch's abusive nature of using secrecy as a weapon against whistleblowers," Zaid's statement said.

<snip>

---------------

I dunno, seems like there could be some parallel here with the Libby (or rather Valerie Plame/Joe Wilson) case and a lot of people aren't very please about how Judge Walton ruled with the Edmonds case.

[Mind_your_head]

7. kick for Tuesday morning

:kick:

[yellowcanine]

10. Judge John Sirica ( Watergate) was appointed by Eisenhower. He

probably singlehandedly made sure that the prosecution of the "fall guys" didn't impede the ability to continue the investigation of the higher ups.

[lovuian]

11. I think Judge Walton better be careful here!!! He could be

set up here!!!