Judge Reggie Walton, from (CIA leak) Libby trial, appointed to FISA court

[sabra]

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/05/cia_leak_judge_.html

CIA leak judge appointed to FISA court

Reggie Walton, the federal judge who heard the CIA leak case, has been appointed to the Foreign Inteligence Surveillance Court, according to a report in Secrecy News, a newsletter from the project on government secrecy at the Federation of Atomic Scientists.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. that's curious?

[flyarm]

2. remember he has seen all the evidence Fitzgerald had !! he knows how dangerous this WH is! eom

[wiggs]

3. He's also the guy who upheld Sibel's gag order without holding a hearing

in which Sibel and her attorneys could hear fed arguments.

[cascadiance]

4. I'm suspicious of Mr. "State Secrets" Walton...

I wonder if Bushco wanted him to try and help grey mail away Libby's case, but he found it too difficult to do in that instance. Now they appear to be trying to leverage that decision into getting him more power on the FISA court. You know he's going to be one element that they are less concerned about with their earlier attempts at trying to get unconstitutional NSA spying through this court.

He's a big reason that Sibel Edmonds hasn't been heard yet, and she even tried to take him to court over his stonewalling efforts and his "convenient" ways of being assigned to her "randomly" for a number of her cases.

He's also very conveniently had his whole financial history redacted from the official record. I wonder if we could push for that data to be released before he gets approved to this post!

This STINKS!

K&R

Here's the UPI story on this:

http://www.upi.com/Security_Terrorism/Briefing/2007/05/24/libby_trial_judge_joins_secret_fisa_court/9180/

[mod mom]

5. UFB! I had no idea.

There is no justice left in America. Did this info ever make it to the Greatest page? (I'm not being lazy not to search myseld, but am experiencing very slow responses on DU tonight.)

[bobthedrummer]

6. Kick

[Mind_your_head]

7. uh-oh...."Come to Jesus time" for Judge Walton

On which side of the line will he stand.....One can't stand in the middle for very long, circumstances force one to choose. Immoral soul and all of that....

[alcibiades_mystery]

8. Can you vacate a jury verdict in the Federal Courts?

Maybe Libby can move to England like that nanny in Massachusetts...

[L. Coyote]

9. Walton, a U.S. District Judge for DC since 2001, appointed by Bush

May 24, 2007 - http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2007/05/judge_walton_named_to_foreign.html

... Walton was appointed to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court by the Chief Justice of the United States effective May 19, ... FIS Court ... is composed of eleven District Court judges ... Walton has been a U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia since 2001, having been appointed by President George W. Bush......

An updated list of members of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court may be found here.
http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/doj/fisa/court2007.html
A biography of Judge Walton is here. http://www.dcd.uscourts.gov/walton-bio.html.....

Last year he ruled (pdf http://www.fas.org/sgp/foia/nro-cbjb/rbw072406.pdf) in favor of the Federation of American Scientists in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the National Reconnaissance Office.

[bobthedrummer]

10. kick

[bobthedrummer]

11. .

[bobthedrummer]

12. Thanks for "allowing" the release of the Libby letters, Judge.

[Me.]

13. Did He?

Have I missed that?

[bobthedrummer]

15. It's breaking news and there is a thread on it in GD. n/t

[Spazito]

14. I think Judge Walton, in his decisions in the Libby case and

during the investigation, have been fair, wise and based solely on the law. To this point, I see no reason to suspect he would be otherwise while serving on the FISA court.

[Me.]

16. I Agree

He also, while being fair and ruling in favor of the prosecution on a number of issues, bent over backwards to see that Liar Libby got a fair trial. By doing this, the judge narrowed the chances that Libby can get the verdict overturned on appeal. He ran such an airtight case the defense didn't even bother making a motion for a new trial. A misstep that will cost them when they appeal the case, for that very motion is usually the first thing you need to do before making an appeal.

[Spazito]

17. I remember reading his opinion that covered the issue of ...

the libby defense's attempt to bring in previously classified documents to be used instead of having libby testify. I think that opinion, also, was why the libby defense made their mis-step in not trying for a new trial.

I tried to find the pdf of his opinion in my favorites but have been unable to locate it yet, it is a must read, imo.

[L. Coyote]

18. Let us know if you find it. K

[Spazito]

19. Found it, thanks to firedoglake!

It was easier to search firedoglake than to try and find the link in my very disorganized, multi-named files re Plame and the Libby trial.

Here is the link to the pdf:

http://thenexthurrah.typepad.com/the_next_hurrah/files/030207_walton_evidentiary_opinion.pdf

[L. Coyote]

20. Thanks.

[bobthedrummer]

21. .