TPM: "Tom DeLay says he was convicted because he drew too liberal a jury."

[Emit]

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), who has long argued that his indictment on money laundering charges was politically motivated, said on the "Today Show" this morning that his conviction was political, too.

"I was tried in the most liberal county in the state of Texas and, indeed, in the United States," he said, referring to Travis County, the home of Austin. DeLay and his lawyers had tried to get his trial moved to a different, more conservative county, to no avail.

"The foreman of the jury was a Greenpeace activist," DeLay went on. "So, I'm not criticizing the jury. The point is this is a political campaign."

During the trial, DeLay told reporters he trusted the jury to acquit him, saying liberals are more empathetic. "I know them like they're my brothers and sisters," he said.

~snip~

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/01/delay_blames_liberal_jury_for_conviction_video.php?ref=fpblg

[chelsea0011]

1. A jury of his peers were all doing time.

[RKP5637]

2. ... because he is a sleaze. n/t

[Democrats_win]

3. But I thought liberals were too lenient on criminals?

Of course it had nothing to do with the fact that he was guilty as sin.

edit: spelling

[LiberalFighter]

8. Exactly right! Liberals would had been more lenient.

While true conservatives would had sliced and diced him.

[Drale]

4. What a surprise

A Republican making excuses.

[Cleita]

5. ROFLMAO!

:nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity:

[Jackpine Radical]

6. When Delay dies, they're going to have to remove his brain

for separate disposal in a toxic waste site.

[RedCloud]

24. You are assuming he has one.

[Jackpine Radical]

29. He's not stupid.

Just evil.

[spanone]

7. so tommy boy's lawyers didn't show up for the jury picks? how foolish tommy boy

[Old and In the Way]

9. So conservatives are OK with organized political crimes?

Says a lot about DeLay's politics. I guess only Republicans can hold Republicans accountable....which they never do.

[justiceischeap]

10. There's this thing that happens before a trial, you know where the jury is picked?

And your attorney(s) Mr. DeLay had options for how to form this jury so it was a fair representation of your peers. There are these called challenges, you know if you felt someone on the jury would not give you a fair hearing because he worked at Greenpeace, well your attorney(s) could have found a way to strike the juror.

So, in the words of the Gipper, "Suck it up and take responsibility for your actions!" (paraphrasing of course)

[Sinistrous]

23. Some info on jury selection:

http://criminaldefense.homestead.com/JurySelection.html

I found it instructive.

[Jamastiene]

11. Lol, what a dumb ass. n/t

[LiberalFighter]

12. Most liberal county in the United States? What chemicals has he been inhaling?

[gateley]

13. Yeah, breaking the law had nothing to do with it. nt

[Richardo]

14. Then your lawyer sucks, Tom.

:dunce:

[old mark]

15. K&R-He seems to actually think this is payback by the Democrats-

he refuses the idea that he did wrong...

mark

[Renew Deal]

16. The most liberal county in the US is in Texas?

I guess he's never been to Brooklyn.

[snooper2]

17. I don't think they have banned toys in kids meals

in Austin yet :rofl:

[begin_within]

18. Will they EVER quit with the liberal-bashing?

[Yavin4]

30. Nope. And It's Getting More and More Tribal

with the next step being ethnic cleansing.

[LostInAnomie]

19. Tommy, look up Voir Dire...

Then, shut up.

[louis-t]

20. Riiiight, and now he'll go before a

hugely right-wing appeals court who will judge him based on his politics, not his crime.

[yellowcanine]

21. Sorry Tom, we tried to find peers, but weasels aren't eligible for jury duty.

Least Weasel, Mustela nivalis

[Stevenmarc]

22. I guess you should ask your jury consultant for a refund.

[Warren DeMontague]

25. And here, I didn't even know that guy could draw.

Guess he's a man of many talents.

[Uben]

26. Typical criminal behavior......

...I'm a victim, I was cheated, I'm innocent, the dog ate my homework, it was someone else that shat in my britches!

He's what you call a "fucking liar!"

[City Lights]

27. So conservatives are soft on crime, eh Tom?

:rofl:

Thanks for saying it so eloquently!

:rofl:

[callous taoboy]

28. That is patently false. I know this because AN IN-LAW OF MINE WAS THE FOREMAN:

My niece-in-law was the foreman. She is a registered Democrat, however she has always been a very independent thinker, and she is an incredibly bright, articulate young woman whom the other members of the jury quickly entrusted to be the foreman.

The day after they reached their guilty verdict she told me that the jury was evenly sprinkled with Republicans, Independents and Democrats, and that after a week of deliberations all members of the jury (some of whom had started out adamant that Delay was innocent- I'll let you guess who they were) had definitely come around and decided that Delay was 100% guilty of money-laundering. There was no question of his guilt. One of the Republicans that had been the most opposed, initially, to finding him guilty congratulated the foreman on a job well done.

My niece-in-law gave up a month of her time, and through blood, sweat and tears (she really did cry the day it was over, the experience being something she would not want to go through again) a jury of Delay's peers had reached an honest verdict.

Deal with it, Tom.

[TheCowsCameHome]

31. Coulda been the death penalty - you were lucky, Bugman

Be thankful.

[Ikonoklast]

32. They convicted you because you are GUILTY, dipshit.

And I guess you decided to go with Lawyers-R-Us to save a few bucks, as you thought you were immune from the law.

[callous taoboy]

33. kick

[BrightKnight]

34. The jury selection phase is over and his "brothers and sisters" convicted him. - n/t