DeLay Fails in Bid to Get Quick Answer From Judge in Texas Case

[Tace]

Dec. 17 (Bloomberg) -- The Texas judge hearing a campaign- finance abuse case against former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said he won't yet rule on one of DeLay's motions, dealing a setback to the lawmaker's bid for a quick resolution of the case.

After being indicted in his home state of Texas, DeLay was forced by Republican rules to step down from his leadership position in the U.S. House of Representatives. He denied wrongdoing and sought a quick trial so that he can have the chance to reclaim his majority leader position.

DeLay's lawyers asked Judge Pat Priest to split up the charges facing their client and proceed to trial on a count of money laundering as soon as possible. Priest, in an e-mail sent to reporters today, said he's decided that he won't rule on that request until an appeals court has reviewed a challenge by prosecutors to one of his earlier rulings.

``The law directs the Court of Appeals to give precedence'' to this type of appeal by prosecutors, Priest said. He said he was confident that the appeals court would act with ``with all reasonable dispatch.''

more

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=azfS6sRMy6wE&refer=home

[tularetom]

1. Bwahaha he's toast now

Nothing is going to get done on all these appeals before the first of the year. The trials won't begin until mid January at the earliest and nothing will be decided until after the state of the union speech - way to late for the pubs to go without selecting a majority leader. I don't think the membership will allow Hastert to keep the seat open that long.

[WhiteTara]

2. Hastert's adjourning Congress until the 31st

of January...or so is his plan
Isn't this special? We are in the middle of 2 wars, a few conflicts, the aftermath of a devastating storm, and Hastert is going to stop all our business to keep The Hammer. I called Hastert's office and ranted for a couple of minutes, it was theraputic. You might want to join in the fun and call them and let them know we aren't stupid.
http://www.house.gov/house/orgs_pub_hse_ldr_www.shtml

Hastert Shuts Down Congress For DeLay’s Trial
http://thinkprogress.org/2005/12/07/hastert-shuts-down-congress/
House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert and his top lieutenants are seeking to avoid a divisive intra-party leadership fight…Hastert has scheduled the first House session of 2006 for Jan. 31 — after a holiday break of more than a month, and two weeks after senators are due to return to Washington. The late start gives DeLay, a Texas Republican, a greater amount of time with which to dispose of the charges, as new leadership elections could not occur until the House is bac

[rodeodance]

4. pretty arrogant!

[WhiteTara]

7. are we going to let him get away with it?

:shrug:

[MaineDem]

9. There isn't much choice

GOP sets the calendar.

I'd like to see the Democrats sitting in the House waiting though...in the middle of January.

[pokercat999]

25. There is always a "choice".

My guess is you mean there are no choices that are acceptable at this time. I say "the times they are a changing" and wonder how long it will take the Murican peeples to become more accepting of our options. sarcasm is a wonderful tool,isn't it ?

[MaineDem]

27. No choices that are viable

The Democrats don't set the schedule.

They can't open a session, call a committee meeting, etc. I wish they could.

Like I said, maybe they can go sit in the House chamber and wait for it to open. (Wonder if the Republicans keep it locked?)

But there's nothing to stop the Democrats from telling everyone what's happening. My Congressman was suppossed to be at a few events this week and his staff, attending in his absence, made a point of explaining just why he's still in session. It had all to do with DeLay. At least they're getting the message out.

[Skink]

10. Let's adjurn Congress till 2007.

[cassiepriam]

26. Might as well, they aren't doing anything anyway.

[tanyev]

12. Does that mean the SOTU address won't be until Feb.?

Don't both houses have to be in attendance for that?

[Historic NY]

14. Well he could mail it to them....its been done before.

The ratification of the 20th Amendment on January 23, 1933 changed the opening of Congress from early March to early January, affecting the delivery of the Annual Message.
• Until 1934, the Message was delivered every December.
• Since 1934, the Message and Address is delivered every January or February.

The usual practice was within 2 weeks of the opening of Congress. In recent times Presidents, Carter, Clinton, Reagon, & Bush 41 have not formally presented a SOU to both house but forwarded his message to them.

A delay will set back the mechanics of getting the government started for the new year.

[tanyev]

15. Thank you.

I've been wondering that ever since it was announced they were delaying start of the House. I thought there was some requirement for the 3rd week of Jan; not sure why.

[No Exit]

21. I wish he'd mail it to me, too

so I could use it for toilet paper.

I'd rather do that than have to watch the demented retard on TV YET AGAIN saying the same CRAP and LIES for the umpteenth time.

[stop the bleeding]

32. I was wondering if this won't delay the Delay trial and therefor delay

Delay to getting back to the House before 01/31/05?


Give Mommy a Kiss....."

[rodeodance]

3. lets hope you are right on. would be sweet.

[Wordie]

5. Does anyone know about the timing of the Court of Appeals review?

Is it likely to occur after the January 31st date set by Hastert for the return of the House?

[existentialist]

6. Yes, and then when they do get back they'll say that

the legislation is a rush so nobody can take time to examine it, and to say or think otherwise in this time of crisis is downright unpatriotic and possibly treasonous, and never mind that it's crammed full of special favors to Republican donors and dangerous to civil liberties, and disastrous to poor people and the environment, and that their past track record shows every indication that they're lying about what's in it . . .

[Zodiak]

8. they can try

But I feel that the Senate is not going to be like that. Everyone knows that the neocon thing is falling apart, and the Senate has decided to save their political asses by FINALLY providing a check to the freaks in the WH and the House.

I feel sorry for our Dem representatives because I agree that the pukes are going to try to ram through a whole bunch of scary crap without review. However, I don't believe that the same bill has passed the Senate yet, and there is unrest there.

This should be interesting to watch, but unfortunately, the stakes are high.

[existentialist]

13. Yes, actually there appears to be the beginnings of unrest in the House

too, but they I certainly believe they will try, and I guess we all have to try to get the word out about what they will be doing--preferably before they try to do it.

[TheCowsCameHome]

11. How's the judge-shopping going, Tom? Find a winner yet?

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahahaha.

[stevedeshazer]

16. DeLay's request for speedy trial on hold

Ruling could jeopardize DeLay's bid to regain leadership post

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Rep. Tom DeLay's request for a speedy trial on money-laundering charges will have to wait until an appeals court decides whether there is any merit to dismissed charges that the congressman conspired to violate election law.

So said Senior Judge Pat Priest in an e-mail ruling Saturday that was sent to attorneys in the case.

Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle initially brought both charges against the Texas Republican in September, but Priest tossed out the conspiracy charge earlier this month and Earle has appealed the ruling.

DeLay's attorneys had petitioned to have the charges separated into two trials so the proceedings on the conspiracy count could move forward swiftly, but a December 27 hearing on the matter has been canceled.



more: http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/12/17/delay.trial/

[Cobalt Violet]

17. So how much longer do Katrina victims have to wait...

Before the house does something? :grr:

[stevedeshazer]

18. You'd think this would put pressure on Denny Hastert to convene the House

But, these are Republicans. They don't care.

[Judi Lynn]

19. DeLay dealt setback in bid to regain post

Dec. 18, 2005, 12:22AM
DeLay dealt setback in bid to regain post
Judge's ruling reduces chance for a speedy trial


By JANET ELLIOTT
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

AUSTIN - Rep. Tom DeLay's hopes for regaining his leadership post were dealt a severe blow Saturday when a judge put the congressman's trial on money-laundering charges on hold pending the state's appeal of the dismissal of another charge.
DeLay had asked to be tried on the money-laundering charges while Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle appeals the dismissal of a charge accusing the Sugar Land Republican of violating the election code.

But in a ruling issued by e-mail Saturday morning, Senior Judge Pat Priest, of San Antonio, delayed making a ruling on that request, raising the prospect of a prolonged legal battle that could diminish DeLay's chances of regaining his position as House majority leader, a post he was forced to relinquish in September when he was indicted.

A number of House Republicans already have been pressing for new leadership elections when lawmakers return from their holiday break Jan. 31. DeLay's hopes for regaining his post depend on clearing his name before any leadership vote is taken by the Republican caucus.

...
DeLay's two co-defendants in the alleged scheme to violate a ban on corporate contributions to Texas candidates are not seeking a speedy trial. Priest said that although DeLay may be entitled to sever the charges, he thinks that "to go to trial on his case alone would require at least two trials where otherwise one would suffice for all three defendants."
(snip/...)

http://chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3532487.html
(Free registration required)

[No Exit]

20. "Eevil Judges Prove Too Much For One of Their Chief Detractors"

Fuckhead DeLay is one of the more vocal critics of the court system. Repukes criticize the court system because it is the last branch of government left. It is the one they haven't yet locked down, and it is the one they are having trouble subduing.

So it comes as a special and delicious irony to see that this very system is the one which is squashing Fuckface DeLay like a bug.

[Judi Lynn]

22. Good article on Delay's redistricting...

December 18, 2005

Undo DeLay remap
The Supreme Court will review Texas' redistricting

~snip~
The gerrymandering effort also saw DeLay using political campaign funds to advance his remap plan, which recently resulted in criminal charges being filed against him. These charges forced him to step down as majority leader, at least temporarily, but the redistricting plan still stands as passed.

The Texas delegation switched in 2004 from a 17-15 Democratic edge to a solid 21-11 GOP majority. If the change was the result of a fair, unbiased redrawing of districts, there would be few complaints. But it wasn't. The plan featured a tortured redrawing of district lines to favor Republican candidates. This is the crux of one of the court challenges. It says the plan was drawn up in the middle of a decade (redistricting traditionally is done at the beginning of each decade following a national census), solely to increase one party's advantage.

Another challenge says the plan did not take into account significant changes in the state's Hispanic population, and districts were drawn in such a way as to dilute minority voting power.

The problems were apparently serious enough for eight career employees of the Justice Department (six lawyers and two analysts in the civil rights division), appointed to review the Texas plan, to unanimously decide it violated the Voting Rights Act. These unbiased federal workers were overruled by political appointees in the Justice Department, who approved the plan.
(snip/...)

http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2005/12/18/opinion-18decedit-12-18.html

[No Exit]

23. My Special Hope:

I hope that one hour after the verdict in Bugman's trial--regardless of what that verdict is--a federal prosecutor announces the indictment of the Bugman in one of the many Abramoff scandals.

How delightful it would be.

[symbolman]

24. Every SINGLE DEMOCRAT NEEDS

to show up on the steps of the Capitol and STAY THERE ALL DAY, and every day (hell I'll bring them donuts and coffee and a sandwich) until Hastart opens the doors and repeat to the Media all those days each day,

"We're HERE to do the PEOPLE'S BUSINESS. WHERE are the Republicans? Mr Hastart, WHY aren't these doors OPEN?"

Have some Congress critters there 24/7 and POUND them with it in the Media.

[sduncang]

28. Fake Hair...

Ever notice Tom Delay dyes his hair?

I'm in Texas and I know all about Tom Delay. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. The problem Ol' Tom faces isn't in the pending trail, it in reclaiming his position once the trial is over, assuming he'll get off (which is questionable). Either way, "the Hammer" gets hammered. Enjoy.

[PurityOfEssence]

29. Dear Bug boy: you're not above the law

You're drunk with power and unchecked in your march of conquest up to this point, but not everyone can be intimidated into giving you your way. Coming down to earth is going to be hard for this little asshole; not getting the best table in the house, not being able to smoke a stooge while dining and not getting fun junkets and endless goodies will sit very hard with this mean little nobody. Whether his disgrace is truly embarrassing or not, his loss of goodies will make that creepy little brow wrinkle convulse in rage. Live long and suffer.

[harpo]

30. So who will get voted in as Speaker now that he won't be able to run?

[MaineDem]

31. DeLay was Majority Leader

I think Hastert is still Speaker.