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Keying Off Stevens Decision, Siegelman Steps Up Push To Have His Own Charges Dropped
In the wake of the charges being dropped agaisnt Ted Stevens, is pressure building on the Justice Department to make a similar decision on behalf of Don Siegelman?
A lawyer for the former Alabama governor -- who last week told TPMmuckraker that the misconduct in his own case "dwarf[s]" that in Stevens' -- sent a letter Friday to Attorney General Eric Holder, asking that Holder review the evidence of "serious and pervasive" prosecutorial misconduct in Siegelman's case.
Siegelman's lawyer, Vince Kilborn, writes:
I am heartened by your recent decision in another matter to dismiss charges in light of growing evidence of misconduct by the Justice Department. I believe that a similar review of Governor Siegelman's file ... will reveal that key information has been purposefully withheld from my client, that the prosecutors have engaged in far reaching (sic) and that justice demands immediate dismissal of all charges against Governor Siegelman.
The letter lays out several instances in which prosecutors failed to turn over evidence to the defense -- the same recurring misstep that prompted Holder to recommend having the charges against Stevens dropped.
Siegelman was convicted in 2006 in connection to his appointment of a campaign contributor to a state board. Though he is now out of jail pending his appeal, the conviction is still standing, despite evidence that the prosecution was politically motivated -- a witness has given sworn testimony that Karl Rove was involved -- and despite numerous credible allegations of misconduct on the part of prosecutors, jurors, and the judge.
Siegelman attached the letter to Holder to an email sent today to supporters. In the email, Siegelman declares that "Attorney General Holder's action [on Stevens] gives me hope that justice can be restored and our democracy can be preserved." And he asks readers to email both Holder and the editorial-page editors of several major newspapers, including the New York Times and the Washington Post, stressing the need for Holder to investigate Siegelman's case.
Josh
Zachary
Interesting thing on Law.com about the judge requesting Holder retrain DOJ attorneys~~
http://editorial.incisivemedia.com/c/1NcaE1iDBzcR2zSwj
In Stevens Hearing, Judge Calls on Attorney General to Retrain DOJ
Legal Times
U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan said Tuesday that in his 25 years on the bench, he had never seen anything approaching the "mishandling and misconduct" perpetrated by the government in the case of former Alaskan Sen. Ted Stevens, who was convicted on corruption charges in October. Sullivan urged his colleagues around the country to enter exculpatory evidence orders at the outset of every criminal case, and said Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. should retrain prosecutors on the rules of evidence.
April 7, 2009 3:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
If we can just blow the stink off the Siegelman case, we could stand to see how illegal his conviction was. Where is Karl now? He was the architect of this mess. Restore this man's reputation and put Karl on the hotseat instead.
April 8, 2009 2:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Does anyone know the real motives for Bush era prosecutors messing up the Steven's case? Did they do so intentionally to get the case thrown out on review or appeal? They would not mess up this badly just due to sheer incompetence, or could they? And who in Justice oversaw these goons?
April 8, 2009 2:22 PM | Reply | Permalink