Judge Quashes Subpoena for TSA Lawyer (set to testify in Moussaoui trial)

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT/AP: Judge Quashes Subpoena for TSA Lawyer
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: March 24, 2006
Filed at 11:37 p.m. ET

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) -- The federal judge in the case of Zacarias Moussaoui quashed a subpoena Friday for the government lawyer whose conduct caused major problems for the prosecution.

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema canceled a scheduled court appearance Monday for Transportation Security Administration lawyer Carla J. Martin.

Martin improperly coached witnesses, resulting in two government aviation witnesses being barred from the case in which admitted terrorist conspirator Moussaoui is on trial for his life.

Brinkema said Martin violated federal witness rules when she sent trial transcripts to seven aviation witnesses, coached them on how to deflect defense attacks and lied to defense lawyers to prevent them from interviewing witnesses they wanted to call....

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Moussaoui.html

[jeff5]

1. What Many Are Missing in This

Is that this lawyer wasn't trying to strengthen the Government's case against Moussaoui, she was trying to get the "expert witnesses" to immunize the airlines in their civil lawsuit.

Probably had a juicy lobbying job waiting if it worked, much like the leased-tanker deal, or Billy Tauzin and Medicare. It's standard procedure for this bunch.

[Demeter]

2. Why Quash the Subpoena?

I have a feeling I will never catch up with this case. I just don't even see how a court can condemn a man to death for thinking of doing something, while never actually doing it, nor as far as I can tell, getting very far in even planning to do something!

[Sgent]

3. One possible reason

is that she invoked her 5th ammendment rights, since the judge (and Bush admin) have hinted at criminal prosecution for contempt or witness tampering.

[soothsayer]

5. I think you have to do that on the stand.

[Peace Patriot]

6. I believe the charge against Moussaoui is that he knew of the 9/11 plot

and did not tell authorities, and authorities therefore could not take any measures to stop it, if they had been inclined to, and were not out at the ranch vacationing with George Bush that week. For this--that is, for half the government taking the summer off to ride bicycles with the president, and the other half off to the Armstrong ranch to shoot dissident Repubulicans..er...old friends...er...quail with the vice president, and their ignoring all the urgent memos from the Minnesota FBI office, and their denial of a FISA warrant to Colleen Rowley, and their ignoring the Presidential Daily Briefing which said "Osama bin ladin determined to strike in the United States," and their ignoring dozens of urgent memos from foreign governments to the same effect, and their firing of John O'Neil who was onto the Al Q money trail in Yemen, and everything they ignored and neglected and shined on, including the fact that the Air Force and NORAD were unprepared to protect even the nation's capitol, and were such a useless outfit that all their standard procedures would fail on one day--and on that day only--and because Moussaoui didn't call them up on the phone or email them or something, about this hijacking plot he'd heard about, they want to put him to death, and silence him forever.

I haven't read the actual charges, but I understand that they were written pretty much exactly this way, and that even the judge broke out laughing when they were read in court. I also understand that the judge has had trouble keeping order in the courtroom because every time a witness is called they can't help giggling whenever they look at Zacharais Moussaoui and think of him flying a jumbo jet. They also had to evacuate the courtroom at one point because one of the government lawyers reported that he had seen a man wearing a utility belt and ripping wires out of the wall near the judge's chambers, but upon questioning of the lawyer it turned out that he had been under a great deal of stress, and admitted that what he had seen was merely a ghost who identified himself as Nicholas Berg, and who said, "Don't worry about a thing. I'm on it," then vanished. I'm just kidding about this part.

[saigon68]

4. The whole group are rotten to the core

They make up the rules as they go

[sattahipdeep]

7. Anyone see a problem with that?

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema canceled a scheduled court appearance
Monday for Transportation Security Administration lawyer Carla J. Martin. :eyes:

Martin, who is 51 and has 16 years' experience, has spent virtually
no time litigating cases, according to people familiar with her work.

....
Her career has involved sitting in on cases argued by other
attorneys, essentially as a gatekeeper of classified secrets, they said.