NYT: Journalists Said to Figure in Strategy in Leak Case

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 - Lawyers for I. Lewis Libby Jr., the former White House official indicted on perjury charges, plan to seek testimony from journalists beyond those cited in the indictment and will probably challenge government agreements limiting their grand jury testimony, people involved in the case said Tuesday.

"That's clearly going to be part of the strategy - to get access to all the relevant records and determine what did the media really know," said a lawyer close to the defense who spoke on condition of anonymity.

At Mr. Libby's arraignment this month, his lawyers alluded to using a First Amendment defense in fighting the charges, but they have declined to say what that strategy might entail.

In interviews, lawyers close to the case made clear that the defense team plans to pursue aggressively access to reporters' notes beyond the material cited in the indictment and plans to go to the trial judge, Reggie B. Walton of United States District Court, to compel disclosure as one of their first steps.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/16/politics/16libby.html?hp&ex=1132117200&en=3e1290c128b9b6d7&ei=5094&partner=homepage

"The prospect of another legal battle over access to reporters' records "could be worse for the media" than the Miller showdown, said Lucy Dalglish, head of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. "You now have a situation where you have a government investigation hung completely on testimony from journalists, with journalists turned into witnesses, and that is a scary notion."

Ms. Dalglish said that unlike the special prosecutor, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, who was restricted partly by Justice Department regulations on subpoenaing reporters' notes, Mr. Libby's defense team will not be bound by those same rules.

"This is a very unsettling case, and it could take years in the courts to resolve," she said.
Mr. Fitzgerald, in securing the cooperation and testimony of some journalists, agreed to limit the scope of his questioning to conversations with certain sources and topics.

But the defense is likely to challenge the limited nature of those interrogations and seek to explore a range of other topics about the reporters' dealings with White House officials, the substances of their conversations and the offers of confidentiality offered to sources, the people involved in the case said. "

It's about time.

So dismiss all charges.

indict anyone else or start any other investigations.

pick a fight that will tie up the case in court until Bush leaves office and pardons Libby on the way out.

Bob is part of the defense strategy team - what an a-hole.

The strategy is looking pretty clear now.

But what about the journalists who don't play? It sounds like Pincus for one is not going along.

They've got ALL the legal help they'll ever need from the right-wing think tanks and legal associations (The Federalist Society), and ALL the money in the world to pay for them from Cheney's Halliburton ill-gotten gains, the oil companies, and megazillionaires. They already have control of the mainstream media ORGANIZATIONS, and now they're going to be bringing in all of the REPORTERS who work for those republican ass-kissing organizations; circling the wagons to protect their evil minions.

They're going to try to bring down the entire constitution, starting with the First Amendment, over this whole charade of theirs -- ALL so the neocons could out a covert agency organization that STOPPED the neocons from planting WMDs in Iraq.

The republicans have become a pox on our nation and the world. They are all Hitlers within our borders, and protected by our government because they CONTROL our government.

Evil, evil bastards. If the United States EVER needed a miracle, we need one now.

:kick::kick::kick:

Make our day!! When the WH manipulation of journalists comes to light we'll have yet another reason for impeachment.

Bring the lapdog media into it too. Let the people see how sordid the Bush/media connection is.

Lawyers for I. Lewis Libby Jr., the former White House official indicted on perjury charges, plan to seek testimony from journalists beyond those cited in the indictment and will probably challenge government agreements limiting their grand jury testimony, people involved in the case tell the NEW YORK TIMES for Wednesday page ones, RAW STORY has learned... Excerpts.

#

"That's clearly going to be part of the strategy -- to get access to all the relevant records and determine what did the media really know," said a lawyer close to the defense who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

In interviews, lawyers close to the case made clear that the defense team planned to aggressively pursue access to reporters' notes beyond the material cited in the indictment and planned to go to U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton to compel disclosure as one of their first steps.

Defense lawyers plan to seek notes not only from the three reporters cited in the indictment -- Tim Russert of NBC News, Matt Cooper of Time Magazine, and Judith Miller, formerly of The New York Times -- but also from other journalists who have been tied to the case.

Chief among those is Robert D. Novak, who first disclosed in a column in July 2003 that Valerie Plame worked for the CIA.

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Libby_lawyers_to_seek_notes_from_1115.html

i await the RS haters any moment now. :popcorn:

(known here as "media whores") who are not going to get very much sleep.


:nopity:

Now you know he's lying.

Journalists Said to Figure in Strategy in Leak Case
By ERIC LICHTBLAU
Published: November 16, 2005


WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 - Lawyers for I. Lewis Libby Jr., the former White House official indicted on perjury charges, plan to seek testimony from journalists beyond those cited in the indictment and will probably challenge government agreements limiting their grand jury testimony, people involved in the case said Tuesday.

"That's clearly going to be part of the strategy - to get access to all the relevant records and determine what did the media really know," said a lawyer close to the defense who spoke on condition of anonymity.

At Mr. Libby's arraignment this month, his lawyers alluded to using a First Amendment defense in fighting the charges, but they have declined to say what that strategy might entail.

In interviews, lawyers close to the case made clear that the defense team plans to pursue aggressively access to reporters' notes beyond the material cited in the indictment and plans to go to the trial judge, Reggie B. Walton of United States District Court, to compel disclosure as one of their first steps.

Defense lawyers plan to seek notes not only from the three reporters cited in the indictment - Tim Russert of NBC News, Matt Cooper of Time Magazine and Judith Miller, formerly of The New York Times - but also from other journalists who have been tied to the case.

Chief among those is Robert D. Novak...


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/16/national/16libby.html

Please.

time is one of the defense's strongest weapons.

:popcorn:

Please clue me in. What does the First Amendment rights (presumably of the journalists) have to do with whether Libby perjured himself? The perjury charge is very limited. It doesn't go to what journalists knew and when other than whether he told certain people certain things at certain times. I'm sure it's just me, but I don't see the connection at all. Please explain this if you understand. I'm sure I'm just dense on this one.

Looks like a delaying tactic to me. Bunches of subpoenas, reporters will fight them, appeals, yada yada.

hoping that the journalists will do the job for them: journalists will appeal up to the Supremes against revealing their "full" notes. The Supreme Court, which is now stacked, will rule that these journalists will not have to reveal their notes. In the end, no notes, no case. Morale, journalists will carry the water for Libby.

Libby is sooo convicted!!!

:sarcasm:

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

Jury. Maybe someone could point that clause out for me....:shrug: