Second Judge Out for DeLay Trial (Update - new judge appointed)

[Gman]

AUSTIN, Texas - A new judge was selected to preside over Rep.
Tom DeLay's conspiracy and money laundering trial Thursday, after another judge became the second to step away from involvement in the case because of political contributions he has made.
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Administrative Judge B.B. Schraub, a Republican who was to have selected the judge for the case, withdrew after Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle filed a request to have him removed. Two days earlier, District Judge Bob Perkins was removed from the case at DeLay's request because of his contributions to Democrats.

Schraub asked Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson to name a judge to preside over DeLay's trial, and Jefferson selected semi-retired Senior Judge Pat Priest of San Antonio. Jefferson's involvement, however, could invite yet another challenge.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051103/ap_on_go_co/delay_indictment_judge

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Pat Priest is a great guy. I'm not saying he will screw Delay. Priest is fair and respected by both sides. Coincidentally, he is a good Democrat.

[LiberalinNC]

1. Who ever is chosen Delay will find fault w/...I just don't want him

if and when found guilty to have the appeals courts overrule a guilty conviction.

[WhiteTara]

2. good that was Delay's last challenge

for the judge. A democrat is in place. We can see that he will at least be fair.

[dback]

3. No relation to Pat Priest of "The Munsters?"

A ghoul for a ghoul, it would be appropriate.

[asjr]

4. The unbelievable characters in our

government today should get together and put a slapstick comedy routine on stage or in a movie. I would bet Michael Moore would do a good job.

[Igel]

5. Any challenge against Jefferson should be dismissed

out of hand as irrelevant. Schraub should have ignored Earle.

Just as Schraub--the bastard!--had the insanely partisan temerity to appoint a Dem judge to evaluate the initial judge's status, so Jefferson's appointed a Dem. The partisan bastard!

It's not the administrative judge assigning cases that's the issue. It's the trial judge.

It's not justice or a legal system. It's a badminton match.

[99Pancakes]

6. He's looking for a Repug judge

who's vacation he financed or something?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

7. Looks like DeLay drew a Democrat on the 3rd draw

DeLay gets Democratic judge in Texas By Jeff Franks
38 minutes ago



HOUSTON (Reuters) - A Democratic judge was named on Thursday to preside over the money-laundering and conspiracy case against U.S. Republican Rep. Tom DeLay in an appointment made by the chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court.

Senior Judge Pat Priest of San Antonio will replace state District Judge Robert Perkins, who was forced off the case on Tuesday after DeLay's attorneys complained he was too staunchly Democratic to give their client a fair trial.

Priest was appointed by Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson, a Republican endorsed and aided by DeLay's Texans for a Republican Majority, or TRMPAC, a political action committee at the center of the criminal charges.

Jefferson made the appointment after a Republican judge in a lower court, B.B. Schraub, recused himself earlier on Thursday after prosecutors charged he was too staunchly Republican to make a fair choice.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051104/pl_nm/delay_dc

[Tiggeroshii]

8. He's a Democrat. If he gave contributions to moveon and John Kerry, he won

The reason the Repug got kicked was cause he was just as partisan as the last. There's a new kinda expectation from judges. Their reputations aren't being questioned, their partisanship is. Even if they're fair now, partisan judges aren't gonna make it. Stupid.

[Tiggeroshii]

9. He's a Democrat. If he gave contributions to moveon and John Kerry, he won

The reason the Repug got kicked was cause he was just as partisan as the last. There's a new kinda expectation from judges. Their reputations aren't being questioned, their partisanship is. Even if they're fair now, partisan judges aren't gonna make it. Stupid.

[bunny planet]

10. Since when is anyone allowed to challenge the judge that gets picked for

trial based on how they vote as a private citizen. This is ridiculous. I've also read that Delay, though indicted, is still the defacto leader in the House, wielding power like always, and noone has had the juevos to challenge his authority to do so. Shouldn't he be barred from the floor and the building while under indictment. Is there some rule being broken while he refuses to stay away. I know he stepped down from his leadership position, temporarily, but he's still bullying and taking care of 'business as usual.'. Let's just hope the Abramoff emerging scandal and hearings will just take out the bugboy completely, like he got sprayed with a giant can of Raid.

[Beetwasher]

11. KOS Poster (Zarate) Also Says Priest Is A Great Pick!

"Judge Priest will preside over this trial with all the legal aplomb his long legal career can muster. He cannot be influenced and cannot be swayed from making rulings that will comport in a sensible way with the law on our books.

In short, Chief Justice Jefferson couldn't have made a better choice."

http://dailykos.com/#