Big Lizards:Blog:Entry “Ron and Tom's Bogus Journey, part Deux”

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October 5, 2005

Ron and Tom's Bogus Journey, part Deux

Hatched by Dafydd

Once again, Democrats prove that, contrary to what some may think, it really is possible to fall off the floor.

If you -- I mean they -- today, Ronnie Earle -- oh for heaven's sake, just read this, from the Austin American Statesman:

Prosecutor Reveals Third Grand Jury Had Refused DeLay Indictment
Newly impaneled grand jury returned money-laundering charge within hours
By Laylan Copelin, American-Statesman Staff
October 4th, 2005

A Travis County grand jury last week refused to indict former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay as prosecutors raced to salvage their felony case against the Sugar Land Republican. [emphasis added]

In a written statement Tuesday, Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle acknowledged that prosecutors presented their case to three grand juries — not just the two they had discussed — and one grand jury refused to indict DeLay. When questions arose about whether the state's conspiracy statute applied to the first indictment returned last Wednesday, prosecutors presented a new money-laundering charge to second grand jury on Friday because the term of the initial grand jury had expired.

Working on its last day Friday, the second grand jury refused to indict DeLay. Normally, a "no-bill" document is available at the courthouse after such a decision. No such document was released Tuesday.

Ronnie Earle claims that after prosecuting the case with single-minded zeal -- "obsession" would be a better word -- for literally years, he suddenly discovered "new evidence" over the weekend, coincidentally just after fatal problems arose with the first indictment from the first grand jury, and just after a second grand jury refused to return an indictment. Amazing how perfectly that worked out. God must be in Ronnie Earle's back pocket.

DeLay's legal team, led by Houston lawyer Dick DeGuerin, has been taking to the airwaves to portray Earle as an incompetent prosecutor who is pursuing DeLay only as a political vendetta.

"It just gets worse and worse," DeGuerin said. "He's gone to three grand juries over four days. Where does it stop?" [emphasis added]

I find it quite telling that the first grand jury, which returned the first (flawed) indictment, and the third, which returned the second indictment four hours after being seated on their first day, were both empaneled by Democratic judges; but the second grand jury, the one that heard Earle out but refused his call to indict (a very rare thing in a venue where the defense isn't even allowed to participate) was empaneled by a Republican judge.

Is it perhaps just barely possible that there might be something to this "partisan" charge after all?

Hatched by Dafydd on this day, October 5, 2005, at the time of 1:26 PM

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Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Ron and Tom's Bogus Journey, part Deux:

» Ronnie Earle: “Jury Shopping” in Tom DeLay Case. from Random Numbers
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Tracked on October 5, 2005 2:28 PM

» Earle-y to Bed -- and Stay There from Big Lizards
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» DeLay DeLight from Big Lizards
Rep. Tom DeLay (D-TX) won the first round today of his epic toe-to-toe squareoff with obsessed political prosecutor Ronnie Earle when the judge hearing the recusal motion, C. W. Duncan, decided that Bob Perkins, the "MoveOn" judge, would not be... [Read More]

Tracked on November 1, 2005 2:26 PM

» DeLay Okay Today, I'd Say from Big Lizards
The first shoe dropped on the head of obsessed District Attorney Ronnie Earle today, as Texas Judge Pat Priest threw out one of the two felony charges against Tom DeLay. Priest declined to throw out the second charge on the... [Read More]

Tracked on December 5, 2005 4:23 PM

Comments

The following hissed in response by: RBMN

Supposedly, Mort Kondracke said, this isn't just any ham sandwich [being indicted,] this is a fast food ham sandwich.

If Ronnie "Boss Hogg" Earle didn't have so much power, to ruin a person's life, this could be a great TV sit-com episode.

The above hissed in response by: RBMN at October 5, 2005 2:01 PM

The following hissed in response by: Bill M

It just gets better and better, doesn't it. I really can't believe Earle hasn't been laughed out of office.

In any case, you can bet that any judge who quashes these indictments better have his ducks lined up, 'cause Ronnie'll come after him. That's just the kinda guy he is.

In re wilsonkolb's comment above: There may be smoke; heck, there may even be a little fire in there somewhere; but these indictments are pure political horsecrap and everybody knows it. If there's something there, a competent prosecutor would come up with a solid indictment. Only problem is, ole Ronnie's a politically motivated idiot.

The above hissed in response by: Bill M at October 5, 2005 6:08 PM

The following hissed in response by: SDN

The problem, wilson, is that receiving checks from corporate donors isn't illegal per se. It's the use to which the money is put.

The above hissed in response by: SDN at October 6, 2005 8:32 PM