Texas DA: Cheney's Organized Crime Indictment Evidence

[L. Coyote]

Run time: 02:34 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg20syIJvGE   Posted on YouTube: November 28, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: November 29, 2008 By DU Member: L. Coyote Views on DU: 2697

 
"Greed will get you discovered ... every time, and that's what happened to Cheney." -- Willacy County District Attorney Juan Angel Guerra

Dick Cheney owns shares in the Vanguard Group, an investment company that helps finance prison companies. Guerra estimates those shares are worth $85 million.

When inmate, Gregorio De La Rosa, Jr., was killed in one of the prisons Vanguard helps finance, Guerra says Cheney stopped the investigation so that the value of the shares he holds would continue to rise.

Long live Gregorio De La Rosa, Jr. at http://www.michaelmoore.com/

[boobooday]

1. This is a great opportunity to discuss our prison-for-profit system

And the corruption it is steeped in.

[ixion]

2. indeed...and reason number one why a privatized prison industry

should NOT exist.

[Decider]

3. Willacy County DA is a real loser

If you want to hurt the administration's reputation, that's fine... however, the Willacy County DA is considered to be the town idiot. A pitiful grandstander.
What will happen is Faux News will investigate him and his law degree, and he'll be a national laughing stock.

So, don't put any energy in defaming Cheney, based upon this guy's case.

Just sayin'

[curiousdemo]

6. The real loser is Cheney......

At least this DA had the balls to indict this criminal. Congress (The Cowards) was elected in 2006 to impeach and indict Bush and Cheney for their criminal activity, but chose not to pursue it. Whether this indict is thrown out or not, at least people are finding out about Cheney criminal prison enterprise. He's the one that need to be in prison.

[TheEuclideanOne]

9. No way, you mean people will find out that Cheney is a criminal?

Did you come to that conclusion all by yourself? Are you sure? Nah, I don't believe it. Not Cheney. Where's your proof?! :sarcasm:

That being said, F Congress. What a major disappointment. But after the administration is gone, I am hoping for some real jail time for these criminals. Now wouldn't it be funny if Cheney ended up being in one of these prisons? Do they even make cells that can hold him? I doubt it. Maybe they can invent some material that could contain the powers of the dark side. I guess the only way to answer it would be to ask yourslef "If Darth Vader were put in prison, what type of prison would it be?".

You do make a good point, though. At least somebody did have the cahones to indict these guys, regardless of how worthless I think the charges may be. Hey Nancy, you do know that if you impeach now, pardons are not allowed. :)

[Iggo]

13. Nice try, Decider.

Welcome to DU.

Enjoy your stay.

[Decider]

29. No seriously

I'm on the DU train all the way. Love it. And I respect this crowd immensely.

It's just that "down here in South Texas", everyone knows this DA is just inept and isn't "serious".
And Willacy County is nothing but ranchland and farms, and a bunch of back roads to enable drug trafficking and immigrant smuggling.
If there's a case against Cheney, I say GREAT ! But this isn't the guy you want working on it.

And South Texas has an amazing history of ridiculous judicial results.
Earlier this year, in Brownsville, the jury convicted a lady of murdering her husband, and then sentenced her to 10 years probation. :)
It's a surreal legal environment here, and there's nothing anyone can do about it.

M'kay.

ROCK ON

[wildbilln864]

30. what!?

..."Earlier this year, in Brownsville, the jury convicted a lady of murdering her husband, and then sentenced her to 10 years probation."...
The judge does the sentencing not the jury.

[Decider]

31. Gets tiring to have to explain everything to you.

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/rhode_82641___article.html/convicted_days.html



Traci Rhode spent two days in jail and will pay $10,000 for the crime of murder.

The jury that convicted the Fort Madison, Iowa, native of killing her husband in their Brownsville home four years ago also set her free Thursday, to the delight of her lawyer and the dismay of local prosecutors.

“I am ecstatic with the jury’s assessment of probation,” said her lawyer, Ernesto Gamez.

“It literally legitimizes and justifies their verdict because deep down inside they had a very tough decision to make.”

It took jurors two days to deliver their guilty verdict and another three days to sentence Rhode to 10 years supervised release. Judge Ben Euresti tacked on a $10,000 fine to her punishment and she was released from the Carrizalez-Rucker Detention Center within a few hours.

“(They waited) for two days before they came out with their guilty verdict because they were not sure,” Gamez suspects and called his client’s detention during deliberation “cruel and unusual.”

“Can you imagine the shock of being locked-up for two days in a 4-by-8 (foot cell) with cement walls in isolation? What a culture shock,” he said.

District Attorney Armando Villalobos was experiencing a different kind of shock Thursday after it was announced that the convicted killer would walk.

“We are obviously disappointed by the fact that a convicted murderer will be among us,” said Villalobos, whose office recommended 60 years in prison for Rhode.

Villalobos pointed out that people convicted of “lesser” crimes, such as theft or robbery, often serve harsher sentences.

Upon her release, Rhode embraced her children and supporters that waited outside the jail fence.

She has maintained her innocence throughout the trial, claiming Scott Rhode shot himself in their bedroom while she showered after a morning walk.

The prosecutors counter that Traci awoke at about 5 a.m. on Oct. 15, 2003, and shot her husband with a .45-caliber handgun while he slept.

She went jogging around their Briarwick Subdivision neighborhood then took a bath before calling police to report the shooting, they argued.

Scott survived the gunshot wound to the head but died the next day at Valley Regional Medical Center.

“This was a flat out cold-blooded execution,” Villalobos said.

“Really, our goal here was to get over the hurdle of showing the jury that this murder occurred without really any eyewitnesses present,” he said.

“Whenever you are faced with that kind of situation you exhaust a lot of resources and energy to show that the murder occurred.”

Prosecutors alleged that Traci killed so that she could collect her husband’s life insurance policy and continue an affair with a co-worker.

She is the beneficiary of a $600,000 life and accidental death policy for Scott. It was not clear Thursday who would receive those benefits now that she’s been convicted in his death.

“That’s a civil issue that I’m not involved with,” Gamez said. “The monies will probably go to the children, and rightfully so.”

Scott and Traci Rhode had three children. Two boys pleaded with jurors for leniency after their mother’s conviction.

Her sentence might not be available for the next convicted killer.

A new law passed by the Texas Legislature and effective since Sept. 1 prohibits murderers from receiving community supervised release. The law only applies to cases that take place after the effective date.

“Probation is just disappointing,” Villalobos said of the case his office won and in a way, lost. “But we have to move on.”

[wildbilln864]

32. yes indeed!

After four posts, I'll bet you're exhausted! :crazy:

[geckosfeet]

19. Oh look. A two post wonder. Counting on FAUX for backup.

That's rich.

[peacetalksforall]

25. Instead of one word - idiot - why not make a case for your position - like educate us

about his idiocy with his cases.

[The Wizard]

26. The Administration has done enough to

hurt its reputation and also that of the United States.
Cheney and Bush are international war criminals who will experience a "Come to Jesus" day.
Owning a prison for profit isn't a crime, but there's something immoral about it. Kurt Vonnegut's
Hocus Pocus discussed prison for profit in 1991.

[midnight]

4. I wonder how Dick Cheny stopped the investigation?

That is almost as important as the loss of life going on in his corporation!

[TheEuclideanOne]

5. Really? This is the best that we have?

Cheney held stocks in a company that had an interest in a company that may have caused the death of prison inmates? Well, I must be a criminal too and so are all of the investors in the Vanguard group. After all of the crap that this guy has done, this is the best that we have? I was upset that this case was brought prior to the administration leaving office, but now it seems like this is just a waste of time.

His preventing an investigation may have legs, but I would be very surprised if you could prove it directly, especially with Darth Cheney. Besides, If you did have witnesses testifying against the dark lord, don't be surprised if they suddenly start choking on the stand as the speak :)

[mopinko]

8. what he said. np

[digidigido]

22. Hey, they got Capone for tax evasion

[funflower]

24. That's because Capone evaded taxes. There's no evidence that ol' Darth actually did anything

illegal regarding the prison companies (which are a bad idea, I agree).

[CitizenPatriot]

7. he doesn't just own stock in the Vanguard group

he owns 85 million dollars worth of stock. that's a lot of influence, a lot at stake, and when you pass laws or ignore illegal activity because you stand to lose financially from it, that is a violation of ethics laws.

I know it's been a long time, but ethics AINT NOTHIN'.

They matter.

This is a lot.

[Enthusiast]

12. I won't hold out hope

that Cheney will be held to account. This county's judicial system has been stacked with cronies that will take care of the wealthy and corrupt. It is more like Mexico every day.

[MessiahRp]

21. Yet another reason why public officials should be forced to completely divest from stock ownership

This shit is probably at the heart of every ounce of Washington Corruption when it comes right down to it.

Rp

[jeff30997]

10. In Spanish Guerra means War.

Maybe it's the beginning of a War on Thugs.:)

[Enthusiast]

11. A private prison system

would eventually be full of political prisoners. Let's see, use a countries intelligence system to spy on the political opposition, convict them using your corrupt judiciary then throw them into your privately operated prisons. Sounds more and more like a banana republic, like the one George H W Bush had his hand in in central and South America. These guys know exactly how to run a country.

[blackbart99]

14. We live in a Banana Republic....

Thanks to Bush /Cheney. These jerks have been sucking billions for use in their little
private countries they are setting up. I say take every shot at them you can. Soon they will
be out of reach.:bluebox:

[Enthusiast]

15. I agree, but.

Most American citizens are completely unaware of the malfeasance that has gone on the last eight years. The media has been AWOL, except for two hours a day on MSNBC. The prosecution of Bush/Cheney would look like a vindictive witch hunt by The Obama Administration. Exactly the very opposite from when Clinton was in office.

This is the danger of allowing media ownership in too few hands.

[Piewhacket]

16. Hmmmm....

(alleged) Perosnal involvement by Cheney? Interesting.
Might need to stock up on popcorn.

:popcorn:

[Zombie2]

17. I hope lethal injection's not off the table.

:shrug:

Oh, it's just about that... what about all the other stuff this worms done?

[windoe]

18. Once his bank accounts are accessed, links can be made to other

criminal activities.
I seriously think anyone going against this cartel needs some powerful secure protection.

[lovuian]

20. Me too

but it shows you what a greedy character Cheney is

[funflower]

23. So how did Cheney stop the investigation?

If you don't have that, don't waste our time.

[peacetalksforall]

27. It's a DU phenonema - the minute something negative about this

admministration comes up, there are all kinds of flood diverters. They throw up some mud and hope it holds. Either someone is ridiculed or a claim or theory is ridiculed or all three.

A challenging statement with nothing supporting it is a waste of time. I am capable of suspending judgement until I know more when I have never heard of the person making a case like this DA or even a whistleblower.

In this case the DA has the Cheney disclosure and the heirarchy of the prison holding corporation. The DA didn't present his case they way most suit and tie high profile prosecutors would, but is that the only difference here?

We need to know more, we don't need ridicule.

We need a discussion about why Cheney's 2007 disclosure shows investments - this is another slap down to the citizens. And it seems to indicate proof at the highest level that prisons are being privatized at an alarming rate - and it means, in a way, that prisoners are owned by the owners.

This claim by this DA and what he is showing us has many tentacles.

[peacetalksforall]

28. After being concerned about private prisons for a long time and only hearing bits

and pieces, I think it is a phenomenal revelation that 85 million of private prison stock is held by Cheney. Just that knowledge is all that matters for me, for now.

How much worse is this going to get?