Texal Court Reconsiders Delay Charge

[bettyellen]

Texas court reconsiders DeLay charge
Updated 9/13/2006 10:55 AM ET E-mail | Save | Print | Subscribe to stories like this
AUSTIN (AP) — The state's highest criminal appeals court said Wednesday it would consider reinstating a conspiracy charge against former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, further delaying his felony money laundering trial.
A Travis County grand jury indicted DeLay and two political consultants last year on charges stemming from Republican fundraising during the 2002 legislative races.

A state district court judge later threw out one of two conspiracy charges. Prosecutors asked the appeals court to reinstate the dropped charge, and the court said Wednesday that it would consider that request.

Judge Pat Priest said he would proceed with DeLay's trial when the appeals process has ended.

Prosecutors accuse DeLay and the two consultants of violating state law by funneling $190,000 in illegal corporate money to the Republican National Committee, which then donated the same amount to Texas candidates. Under Texas law, corporate money can't be directly used for political campaigns.


more...
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-09-13-delay_x.htm?csp=24

[Fridays Child]

1. That's a very interesting looking cat.

[bettyellen]

5. tks. Canidy is named after a pair of DUers. she's pissed because i was

on the computer too long, ignoring her.

[Fridays Child]

12. Well...

...she's adorable and very persistent, judging from the look in her eye. :)

[jsamuel]

2. which charges?

[RoveRage]

3. Just save the taxpayers some money and execute the bastard by firing squad

This is another story I'm cynical about. We can't seem to get a grip on these slimy turds.

[gratuitous]

6. Not me

I think Mr. DeLay should get every right, every procedure, every last scintilla of protection the law affords an accused. Because when he's convicted, I don't want to hear any whining from him about how his lawyer was incompetent, or fell asleep during the trial, or didn't have any experience defending corrupt bastards, or any of the other usual occurrences that seem to befall unfortunate defendants in Texas. I want him to get every last drop of due process, so that his conviction is air tight and then he can be sentenced to the maximum term allowable under the law.

[Lochloosa]

13. Welcome to DU RoveRage

:toast:

[bettyellen]

4. okay yep it is....

.money laundering and conspiracy to engage in money laundering. i thought that's what was in limbo.
i'm looking, nothing up yet. they blurted this out and went on to something else immediately. i just wanted to transcribe their caption correctly.


see the Houston Chronical link below.

[Eugene]

7. Houston Chron: Appeals court to consider reinstating charge against DeLay

Sept. 13, 2006, 10:17AM
Appeals court to consider reinstating charge against DeLay

By R.G. RATCLIFFE
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

AUSTIN -- Texas' highest criminal court agreed today to hear prosecutors'
request to reinstate charges against former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay on the
allegation that he conspired to violate state law.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals agreed to hear oral arguments in the case.
Had the high court rejected an appeal from prosecutors, DeLay's criminal case
would have returned to state district court for trial.

DeLay was indicted along with two associates last year on charges of conspiring
to violate the election law, conspiracy to commit money laundering and money
laundering as a result of a campaign finance investigation run by Travis County
District Attorney Ronnie Earle.

State District Judge Pat Priest threw out the election law charge, agreeing
with DeLay's lawyers that the statute was passed after DeLay's alleged activities
in the 2002 elections.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4183633.html

[Geoff R. Casavant]

8. It's the charges of violating election law and conspiracy to do the same.

Much as it pains me, tho, I think I am forced to side with DeLay on these.

The argument the prosecutors are using is essentially this: although the penal laws were amended after DeLay did his dirty work to expressly make this stuff illegal, it was implicitly illegal before.

Regardless of who the defendant is, or how badly he needs an ass-whoopin', I have a fundamental problem with the state saying anything is punishable because it is implicitly illegal.

[bettyellen]

10. wait this is confusing.

i'm getting a different take from each of the two stories posted. isn't this conspiricy for money laundering?

[Geoff R. Casavant]

14. It was originally for both.

The indictment was essentially 3 charges -- money laundering, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to violate election laws. The laundering and conspiracy to commit laundering are still in effect, but the charge related to election law violations was dismissed, and it is these charges that the prosecutor is seeking to reinstate.

[bettyellen]

15. so many charges, so little time.

tks for the clarification. :hi:

[pepperbear]

9. link to usa today story

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-09-13-delay_x.htm?csp=24

[bettyellen]

11. tks pepper!

i just changed my OP since it was so uninformative.
:hi: