Diaz and Minor Cases, Others Probed; Selective-Prosecution Claims Investigated

Source: The Clarion-Ledger (Mississippi)

Diaz case, others probed
Selective-prosecution claims investigated

JERRY MITCHELL • JMITCHELL@CLARIONLEDGER.COM • MAY 26, 2008

The Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility is now investigating allegations of selective prosecution in cases involving Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz Jr. and former prominent trial lawyer Paul Minor, who both have maintained their prosecutions were politically motivated. "This really is a major step for the office to investigate its own prosecutors in the Justice Department," said Diaz, who was cleared of any wrongdoing. The office also is investigating allegations of selective prosecution in the convictions of Democratic officials, former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman and Wisconsin procurement official Georgia Thompson.

In a May 5 letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr., H. Marshall Jarrett, counsel for the Office of Professional Responsibility, wrote that the Justice Department was examining allegations of selective prosecution related to Diaz, Minor, Siegelman and Thompson.

Siegelman's lawyer, Doug Jones of Birmingham, said this is an extension of the probe that began last year into the dismissals of nine U.S. attorneys, which helped lead to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' resignation. "The investigation is looking at the allegations of possible perjury and obstruction of justice at the highest levels of the Justice Department," Jones said. The White House reportedly approved the dismissals of seven of those U.S. attorneys after concluding they weren't doing enough to carry out President Bush's policies. Some prosecutors said they were shown the door for refusing to prosecute Democrats. "The prosecutors who were fired did the right thing," Diaz said. "But that leaves open the question whether there were any pressures brought to bear on those U.S. attorneys who weren't fired." What if those attorneys decided to prosecute because of those pressures, Diaz asked.

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Diaz, who is running for re-election to the state's high court, was first tried on corruption charges and later on tax charges. In each case, the jury cleared him of any wrongdoing.

In his first trial, Minor was acquitted on charges involving Diaz, but jurors deadlocked on other charges. In the second trial, he was convicted and sentenced to 11 years in prison. The House Judiciary Committee has raised questions about the prosecution because Minor contributed to Democratic campaigns in Mississippi. "Convicting and imprisoning Paul Minor on corruption charges could be a powerful way to curtail contributions to the local Democratic Party," the committee report said. On April 17, the committee urged the Justice Department's Offices of the Inspector General and Professional Responsibility to "conduct a thorough investigation and report on the troubling allegations of selective, politically motivated prosecution in recent years by the Department of Justice."

Read more: http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080526/NEWS/805260336/1001/news

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Read the whole article: DOJ, Siegelman, Diaz, Minor, Rove, Dana Jill Simpson, Lampton are all here in an all-inclusive encapsulated overview. If you would like to see justice done and Justice renewed, please kick and recommend.

There is a big story here. If the journo's are willing to get busy, some Pulitzers are available!

conscious of the possibility of being played and they have their own strategy on this. I can't prove this, but things are happening in the background, so everyone keep their skepticism in check at least a little bit.

Every branch committed to a permanent reich wing "majority".

little boots' "joke" about wanting to be "the dictator" was no joke.

fascists out of the nest.

Another place to get info on these cases and another instance of the corrupt legal system, this time in Alabama, check out the Legal Schnauzer:

http://legalschnauzer.blogspot.com/

His own personal story is compelling and disturbing (to put it mildly), and he addresses the Siegelman, Diaz, Minor, etc cases as well.

Thanks, Hissyspit for keeping these posts/updates going. I've been reading the LS blog several times a week, and I doubt I would have found it if not for you.

of many people to clean up the messes that have been made all over the country by this criminal administration.

K&R

Peace,

freefall

:kick:

We're dopes if we think it means anything real.

This Justice Dept is going to investigate itself? Gimme a fucking break.

Of course they will find no wrongdoing at all :eyes:

There aren't but maybe 2 or 3 Dems who really give a shit about saving this country anymore. The corporations have bought them all off. It's all about who gets the most money now.

but that doesn't mean we can't make headway.

Too obvious to ignore, I guess!!

OPR reports to Mukasey, nothing more.

Exact same charges as Minor.
Exact same "famous for litigating big Corporations" as Minor.

Quick..here's a quiz...

In all the "investigations" that the DOJ was shamed into doing, via the OPR, how many of them had any results other than "nothing found here".???

A. all of them

b. all of them

c. all of them

and winner is...............DOJ !!!!

What, did you let Alberto Gonzales write alternatives a-c?

Dept. will go somewhere? I am afraid I do not; it is a stalling tactic.

had investigated and found that the US Government had had no part in the coup against Hugo.

Uh-huh.

I would have them working on it even if they all croaked tomorrow...