In a surprising move, the U.S.Justice Department this afternoon asked that two former Alaska state legislators imprisoned after convictions in public corruption cases be released, saying their trials were tainted by the failure of prosecutors to disclose favorable information.
In filings with the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, the Justice Department asked that the Pete Kott and Vic Kohring be set free while their cases are sent back to U.S. District Court, where they were convicted in 2007.
Read the rest here.
"Corruption in Alaska? Horrors! Shame!" Not so much, it seems. Try D.C., home of "All your corruption are belong to us."
Psalm 22:27-28: “All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the Lord's, and he ruleth among the nations.”
3 comments:
Isn't it interesting how they are convicted, yet, they are about to be released due to misconduct due to prosecutors paperwork.
Is it me or shouldn't this had been handled a little earlier?
I'm no fan of Eric Holder in general - but he does seem to be going through the cases tried recently, one by one, and making corrections where needed.
I think the motion he made is to release them pending a re-trial with ALL the evidence presented. They might receive lighter sentencing if favorable things see the light of day.
I don't think they can overcome the videotape evidence, though. No "get out of jail free" cards.
In my history of the Roman Republic class I am taking this summer semester I have learned something that the Romans did that doesn't sound half bad.
Anyone holding public office in Rome after their term of office were put on trial. They would then have to prove that they were not corruption in office was not excessive. The Romans understood that most people had a price but they didn't want excessive corruption. I not saying that this would always work but it would be a nice way to encourage a little more honesty if all public officials were put on trial when to prove that their corruption wasn't excessive.
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