Sealed indictments

[DoYouEverWonder]

Here's a situation where it may turn out that everybody's right and everybody's wrong. In the coming days we will all know one way or any other.

For what it's worth here's my take on the Plame Investigation.

I do think that Karl Rove has already been indicted but that the indictment is under seal. If that's the case, then our only source of information comes from Team Rove who can't admit to knowing about the indictment even if they wanted to, which we know they certainly don't.

But why would the judge decide to seal Rove's indictment? One reason could be the proverbial, get your affairs in order sort of thing. Or much more likely, Rove is just the stepping stone to a much bigger fish and the prosecutor still needs to keep the evidence out of the public record for the moment.

Of course, the bigger fish that is suddenly finding himself the focus of the investigation, is VP Dick Cheney. We now know Fitzgerald has solid evidence, which we got a small tidbit of on Friday, that Cheney lied to investigators and to the public about his knowledge of the Plame outing and his role in it.

Now if Fitzgerald has enough evidence to bring charges against Cheney that is a major deal. So major that there would be all sorts of negations between the Special Councel's office and Cheney's lawyers and the WH. We are not dealing with just some Joe Blow who did something stupid. We are dealing with the office of the President and top government officials. There are some major constitutional issues that they must work out in order to insure the continuity of the government and to avert a constitutional crisis.

So patience my friends, the end is in sight. Let the wheels of justice turn and sit back and enjoy. We've all worked long and hard for this. We'll be there soon.

[IndianaGreen]

1. Did Fitzpatrick take the grand jury to meet the judge?

If he did, then you have a sealed indictment. If he didn't, then you got nothing but fiction.

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. No way to know for sure since these are 'secret' proceedings

However, there is a sealed affidavit that's been filed by Libby's lawyers that is mentioned in Friday's transcript. Would they have to go to a judge to seal an affidavit?

[IndianaGreen]

6. No, once the grand jury issues an indictment, they are taken to

the judge by Fitz, the judge would then seal the indictment. In practical terms, the grand jurors have to physically leave the small grand jury room and are led by Fitz to the courtroom, which I believe is in a different floor. This is what I recall is the procedure that was followed in the Libby case.

[stepnw1f]

2. I Too Believe the Frogs are Simmering

to a boil. I'm not worried about them not getting indicted. I expect.... it's just a matter of time.

[The Deacon]

4. It reminds me...

...of the deal organized for Spiro Agnew: the Prosecutor and Judge agreed not to unseal the indictment for income tax evasion and bribery until after Agnew's resignation took effect, thereby sparing the Administration the embarrassment of having a sitting Vice-President indicted.

[annabanana]

7. good old nolo contendre

I remember him well...

[OldLeftieLawyer]

5. Read the law

The one that is so badly drafted, it'll never work in any prosecution, and then advance some kind of theory that will include anything substantive.

You can't do it. The law is that bad.

No one knows anything.

That's all anyone can be sure of.

No one knows anything, and I must thank you for your fanciful look into Patrick Fitzgerald's head. It was entertaining.

As I said, no one knows anything.

[DoYouEverWonder]

9. I was clear that I was stating an opinion

n/t

[OldLeftieLawyer]

11. Yep,

and so was I.

Yours was more entertaining than mine, though. You definitely won.

[DoYouEverWonder]

12. My mother always said

I had a vivid imagination.

I use to be the go to person in HS if anyone needed an alibi.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

13. Your mother was being kind

She just figured you had a problem with reality.

We mothers are like that with our kids. We're gentle.

Nice that you had a reputation as the liar.

<shudder>

[DoYouEverWonder]

14. Anyone who claims they never lie

is a liar.

BTW: I'm sure you would have told your mother the truth when she found your birth control pills in the pocket of your jacket.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

15. Darling,

do you honestly think birth control pills were in existence in my youth?

Expand your narrow view, and you'll be better at what you're trying to do.

And don't be so defensive about being a liar. You seemed proud of it, and, damn, if you're proud of it, don't you ever back down.

Birth control pills in the pocket of my jacket.

Oh, that's funny, child. Lame and funny.

[DoYouEverWonder]

16. I believe

birth control pills have been on the market for at least the last 40 years or so? I didn't think you were that ancient?

[OldLeftieLawyer]

17. When I say I'm Old,

I mean Old.

Expand your view. There's a whole world out there you haven't noticed.

[electron_blue]

8. First post about this mess that makes any sense t o me.

Thanks for writing so clearly.

[DoYouEverWonder]

10. More about Cheney from today's WP

The Smoking Pen

By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Monday, May 15, 2006; 1:15 PM


Fitzgerald is said to still be considering filing charges against Rove, whose testimony in the case, like Libby's, has changed dramatically over time.

The notes also offer an insight into Cheney's state of mind. It's an often overlooked aspect of this case that the objective of alerting reporters to the identity of Wilson's wife was to imply that his trip was some sort of nepotistic plum.

But what kind of person would think that a secret mission to the landlocked, impoverished and generally benighted country of Niger is a junket? Either someone quite delusional -- or someone so caught up in the desire to punish and ruin his enemies that the preposterousness of the accusation doesn't really make a difference.

This is notably not the first time that Cheney himself has been spotted at the nerve center of the Plame case. Rove is said to have initially told the grand jury he first heard about Plame from some reporter -- then he said he heard it from Libby. Libby is said to have initially told the grand jury he first heard about Plame from reporters -- but Libby's own notes showed he first heard about her from Cheney.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/04/11/LI2005041100879.html