Ex-U.S. attorney arraigned in 9/11 case

[DoYouEverWonder]

April 22, 2006

A former federal prosecutor and a State Department agent were arraigned Friday in Detroit on obstruction of justice charges, accused of misleading a jury in the first terrorism trial to result from the federal probe of the 9/11 attacks.

Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Convertino, 45, and Harry Smith III, 49, stood mute to the charges before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald Scheer in federal court. Scheer entered not guilty pleas on their behalf and freed the men on $25,000 unsecured bonds. He also ordered them to surrender their passports.

The jury convicted two men of terrorism charges in the 2003 trial, but the U.S. Attorney's Office persuaded the trial judge to throw out the convictions the next year, saying Convertino withheld key evidence from the defense. The reversal was an embarrassment for the Bush administration, which had hailed the convictions as a victory in the war on terror.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060422/NEWS05/604220309/1007


Way to go BushCo. No wonder they want secret courts and prisons.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

1. Oops. So much for adults being in charge and all.

The constitution is made for all.

[Poll_Blind]

2. Whoa! From the article:

Smith, formerly assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan, is accused of lying to the jury about the existence of photographs taken of a Jordanian military hospital. Prosecution witnesses, including Smith, testified that the photographs matched an alleged terrorist targeting sketch found in the defendant's flat.

Man, what a fuck up. This is why, when you're the government, you don't break the rules. This is great because it just shows how Bush's administration of lying and law-breaking fucks themselves on a regular basis. This is hideous because whomever they got convicted may have been actual terrorists. I don't know how important that piece of evidence was.

PB

[Poll_Blind]

3. Remember their names for they WILL be issued pardoned by Bush.

Richard Convertino
Harry Smith III

They WILL be pardoned by Bush on leaving office, two of possibly thousands.

Disgusting...

PB

[teryang]

4. This is so unusual

It is extremely rare for prosecutors to be disciplined for Brady violations. Also, the Government asked for the case to be overturned based upon the violations. Thirdly, with regard to Smith and the photographs, his testimony shouldn't even have been admissable, as a Sixth Amendment violation. This case is being fixed for some other reason. Someone is probably being extorted, coerced or blackmailed.