Lawyer Question: How Do Committee Hearings Turn Into Indictments?

[ThomWV]

How's it happen? If someone in a hearing produces evidence of wrongdoing; what happens next? Who is responsible to indict, who is responsible to prosecute?

I ask because as a retired person I get to watch C-Span as much as I like. I see conflicting sworn testimony almost daily. This isn't trivial shit either, sometimes Constitutional matters are at stake and its clear that one or another persons being interviewed telling lies under oath ... but nothing seems to come of it.

So someone tell me how it is supposed to work, because nothing I see gives me the impression that at the highest levels of Government there is any applicable legal system at work, what so ever.

[jwirr]

1. Good question, I posted so I can see the answers also.

[movonne]

2. ditto

[ThomWV]

3. Apparently not a single person on earth knows

Maybe there is no system. Maybe its perfectly OK to lie to Congress or to admit wrongdoing and give the details.

Maybe, just maybe, there isn't a single reason on earth for any of us to obey any laws. That is the impression that is getting stronger and stronger by the day.

[jwirr]

5. I would think that if there is proof that a law has been broken it would

be the Department of Justice's duty to follow through. But that leaves us with gonzo!

[rug]

4. It's referred to the US Attorney for the District of Columbia.

[ThomWV]

7. By who? Is there a system in which someone has responsiblity to do that?

Or do we just hope that someone from Justice is watching C-Span too?

[rug]

9. If the Committee chair has evidence ib the record of crimes he is obligated to report it.

If he doesnt't the other committee members can.

[napi21]

6. I'm not a lawyer, but as far as I know, the hearings are similar

to "discovery" in a standard case...the research of available information to see if a crime has been committed. IF that discovery (or hearing) uncovers any criminal activity, then the info is turned over to the justice Dept. to prepare indictments.

Before you say "What happens if the criminal activity is done by the head of the DOJ, let me tell you this. Yesterday I read an article about "the Inspecor Generag at the Justice Dept. has been ask to open up a full investigation regarding the activities of the Attorney General. I even looked up the name of the Inspector General to see where he came from and if it seemed possible that he could do a fair investigation. Seems he's worked at the IG's office since 1994, and was promoted to IG in 2000, and appears to be a straight shooter...similar to Fitz.

I'll look and see if I can find that info again and post it here.

[napi21]

10. Info. on IG office at the DOJ, and some re: investigation.

The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) conducts independent investigations, audits, inspections, and special reviews of United States Department of Justice personnel and programs to detect and deter waste, fraud, abuse, and misconduct, and to promote integrity, economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in Department of Justice operations

http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/

Glenn A. Fine
U. S. Department of Justice
Office of the Inspector General



Glenn A. Fine was confirmed by the United States Senate as the Inspector General for the Department of Justice on December 15, 2000.

Mr. Fine has worked for the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG) since January 1995. Initially, he was Special Counsel to the Inspector General. In 1996, he became the Director of the OIG's Special Investigations and Review Unit.

Before joining the OIG, Mr. Fine was an attorney specializing in labor and employment law at a law firm in Washington, D.C. Prior to that, from 1986 to 1989, Mr. Fine served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Washington, D.C., United States Attorney's Office. In that capacity, he prosecuted more than 35 criminal jury trials, handled numerous grand jury investigations, and argued cases in the District of Columbia and U.S. Courts of Appeals.

Mr. Fine graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1979 with an A.B. degree in economics. At Harvard, he was co-captain of the varsity basketball team and was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association. Mr. Fine was a Rhodes Scholar and earned B.A. and M.A. degrees from Oxford University. He received his law degree magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1985.


http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/glennfine.htm


Also check here for some info regarding the comminications between the IG office and Conyers regarding expanding their investigation.

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=4616

[porphyrian]

8. I want to know that, too. Anyone?

We need to find out so that we can let Congress know, because they seem to have no idea either.

[Bitwit1234]

11. I thought lying to congress was the same as lying under oath and

since they impeached a president for that why in the devil don't they indict these buttholes.