Judge Holds Stevens Prosecutors in Contempt

[kpete]

Source: Congressional Quarterly

Judge Holds Stevens Prosecutors in Contempt
By Bart Jansen, CQ Staff

A federal judge Friday cited the prosecutors in the case against former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens for contempt, calling their failure to release documents to defense lawyers “outrageous.”

U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan ordered Jan. 21 that the government turn over documents related to an FBI agent’s allegations of prosecutorial misconduct in the case.

But the documents still hadn’t been released before a 2 p.m. hearing in the case. Sullivan ordered their release by 5 p.m., and said he would postpone imposing punishment until after the case is over.

“That’s outrageous for the Department of Justice,” Sullivan said of the failure to produce the documents. “I hold the attorneys in contempt of court.”

At least four prosecutors cited included the chief of the Department of Justice’s public integrity section, William Welch, and his deputy who argued the case, Brenda Morris. The prosecutors didn’t respond to judge’s citation and a spokeswoman said they don’t typically respond under such circumstances.

Read more: http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000003047141

[Blue_In_AK]

1. The prosecution really was very badly bungled.

If Ted hadn't been so guilty, they never would have gotten a conviction.

[Ian David]

2. Isn't amazing how prosecutors always bungle cases involving Repukes and cops? n/t

[Politicalboi]

3. Tell it to Gonzo

Rove, Miers, Bolton. Has this judge been paying attention. This was the DoJ of Bush that didn't care about the law.

[Blue_In_AK]

4. There's been some speculation here

that there was bad blood between Gonzo and Stevens which is why he was targeted in the first place. I always just assumed that he got caught up in the rest of the Alaska corruption investigations in 2006. I have to say that Alaska's local US attorneys did a much better job of conducting their trials against the corrupt state legislators than the DC lawyers did with Stevens.

[struggle4progress]

5. William M. Welch II was appointed to Public Integrity by Al-Gonzo

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2007/03/16/rise-in-afghan-guerrilla-violence-expected/
via http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/3/16/181818/117

[underpants]

6. So they either tried to help him in trial or establish an appeal??

The other version of this story that I read said that it wasn't certain how this would effect Stevens appeal.
th eNYT makes some mention of it
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/14/us/politics/14stevens.html


from the OP's source
Here's a nice public ass chewing for ya:


During yesterday's hearing, Sullivan repeatedly asked three Justice Department lawyers sitting at the prosecution's table whether they had some reason not to turn over the documents. They finally acknowledged they did not, and Sullivan exploded in anger.

"That was a court order," he bellowed. "That wasn't a request. I didn't ask for them out of the kindness of your hearts. . . . Isn't the Department of Justice taking court orders seriously these days?"

He said he did not want to get "sidetracked" by deciding a sanction immediately and would deal with their punishment later. But he ordered them to produce the material by the end of the day.

"That's outrageous for the Department of Justice -- the largest law firm on the planet," he said. "That is not acceptable in this court."