The Meltdown Of The Stevens Case

The WaPo probes the dissolution of the corruption case against former Senator Ted Stevens but their reporters are far too decorous to connect some dots:

Dot one:

As the indictment loomed against Stevens last summer, authorities in the department's criminal division pondered whether to add a more magnetic courtroom presence to the team. Department officials decided to tap Brenda Morris, a feisty, sharp-tongued trial lawyer who had been serving as deputy chief of the Public Integrity Section, to put Stevens on the hot seat and to build rapport with the jury. But that required the other lawyers to spend hours schooling Morris on the nuances of the case, keeping them from tackling boxes of documents related to the case, according to sources close to the lawyers.

It was to be the most high-profile prosecution of Morris's career.

Four years earlier, Morris had run into trouble in a case she handled when a federal jury in Texas acquitted San Antonio criminal defense lawyer Alan Brown, who had been charged with tax offenses. In a subsequent civil suit filed by Brown, who alleged that FBI agents had wrongfully pursued him based on a sketchy account from his disgruntled secretary, the government ultimately paid Brown $1.34 million to settle the claim.

Dot two requires a visual aid, since the WaPo wants to make a point without making a point of it.  The NY Times uses this ploy of letting a picture substitute for a word or two all the time:

Ms. Morris is in the center.

And finally, this:

Today, after a day and a half of jury selection, lawyers for Sen. Ted Stevens and federal prosecutors agreed on a jury pool of 16, which includes four alternates.

The jury is made up of nine black women, three black men, two white women and two white men - a mix that reflects the population of Washington, D.C., which is more than 56 percent black.

The WaPo doesn't actually tell us Ms. Morris's primary qualification for the assignment but I think they have confidence that their readers will piece it together.

And the DoJ got a conviction, so the strategy worked! 

[end of thread]

Comments

[jimmyk]

The jury is made up of nine black women, three black men, two white women and two white men - a mix that reflects the population of Washington, D.C., which is more than 56 percent black.

Hmm, must be that new math I've been hearing about. Though I suppose it's true that 75 percent is "more than 56 percent." I'm guessing more than one of the alternates was white.

[Bobar]

I'm not sure how a 75% black jury reflects the population of Washington which is 56% black, but that is somewhat tangential to the main point. Additionally, this article seems to blindly buy the argument that all of the mistakes by the prosecution were accidental. There are more nefarious reasons why these screwups may have happened.

[bad]

Oh Great! Now all of the well deserved criticism of Morris will be racist....

[clarice]

I love how one excuse is that the documents were in Alaska which made it hard for them to do their duty and check for Brady material.
After all--and the authors somehow ignore this--Stevens wanted the case heard in Alaska where the witnesses and evidence was and the government prevailed and had it heard here on the thin reed that this was where Stevens filed his Senate ethics form.

There's more respecting this dreck apologia for the prosecution.

For example, the Post made itself the megaphone for the entrenched DoJ bureaucracy. Move a desk in the civil rights division and you could be sure that the next morning the WaPo front page would contain a story from anaonymous sources in the Dept that Bush was trying to get slavery reinstated.
Imagine what this rag would've done had Morris been demoted or removed--as the judge in the Brown case said ought to have been done.

And what was her qualification for this most sensitive spot? She'd handled street crime cases for Morgenthau in NY--street crime--get it..anout 99% of those yeggs' cases pleaded out.

[PaulV]

I like the point that Prosecution was hindered by fact that all the evidence was in Alaska. Stevens wanted the case tried there for that reason. Prosecutors whined because they ran out of time because Stevens invoked Speedy Trial Act. Why were they in such a hurry to indict Stevens except tjey wanted him to lose election

[bad]

Biden would say she's goodlooking and clean. Is she articulate, too?

[daddy]

Reprint comment from tail end of the Open-Sunday post. Hope you don't mind.

I would also like to know who convinced Judge Sullivan to deny Steven's an Alaska venue for the trial as opposed to DC. Any remotely objective observer, familiar with the particulars of the cabin/the charges/etc, would have known that an Alaska venue for the Trial would have immediately exposed the implausibility of the Prosecution's 250K refurbishment charge. So who laid out the case that convinced Sullivan to hold the Trial in DC? Whoever did that, in my view, consciously and intentionally did so knowing full well that by denying jurors the opportunity to view the cabin with their own eyes, to compare it with surrounding similar cabins, and to question local builders as to the actual value of the work accomplished, they were absolutely denying Steven's judicial fairness.

As for Parson's, who I believe is the owner of The Double Musky restaurant in Girdwood (best one in town), what did he say about the Allen comment under testimony? As far as I know, Parson's, unlike Bill Allen, who has multiple felony charges hanging over his head, is an honest citizen without any mitigating legal reasons whatever to lie about conversations with Ted Steven's, so I'd love to hear what he said. Any idea where to find those statements?

And lastly, how come every whistle blower on the planet gets unchallenged front page headlines for months on end, yet finding out anything about whistleblowing FBI Rookie Agent Gay is like finding a needle in a haystack. Yet once his allegations did appear, they beat the bushes in Alaska to find folks to dump on Gay and to laud the integrity of those he accused, and in one instance failing to mention that the individual criticizing Gay was a retired FBI Agent, undoubtedly personally familiar with the Senior Agent Gay was whistleblowing against, yet that essential bit of background never made it into print.

JMH responded "If we're thinking the same guy who purportedly made the CYA remark to Allen, I'm not sure he actually testified. He has since said that he never made any such comment. I don't have a terribly firm grasp of all the details though."

[narciso]

I know I'm kind of dense about some things, but the point that the jury is supposed to represent the demographics of where the crimes allegedly took place, in Alaska, not
in frigging D.C. I know that's an oversight
they'll correct later in the week.

[MaryW]

Bad,

This is a twofer. Sexist and racist.

[jimmyk]

the jury is supposed to represent the demographics of where the crimes allegedly took place

Maybe, but in practice politics takes over. Remember why the OJ case was moved to central LA from Brentwood? The prosecution was worried about the perceptions of an all-white jury convicting a black man. I don't know what happened in this case, but Stevens's lawyers must have thought that the atmosphere was too poisoned in Alaska.

[bad]

Oh yeah, MaryW.

[clarice]

Srevens begged to have the case heard in Alaska and the govt opposed his change of venue and won, jimmy

[narciso]

Yes but that change of venue, across the country, to an area that is disposed to prosecute the likes of North and Libby. had they moved it to upper Washington or Oregon, they might have gotten the same results, had they hit the exculpatory evidence, again of course.

[anduril]

But that required the other lawyers to spend hours schooling Morris on the nuances of the case...

Uh-huh. A

a more magnetic courtroom presence...a feisty, sharp-tongued trial lawyer...

but not a quick study.

And, gosh, color me naive, but why did they choose Brenda for this high profile case after the $1.34 million fiasco in San Antone?

[PaulL]

Remember the comments that no D.C. jury would convict Bill Clinton of anything.

[clarice]

daddy, I feel certain that if Parsons testified we'd have heard about it.

Generally there are a number of factors to consider about the proper venue; where the crime occurred, where the witnesses and evidence are located are the most important.
As I said the govt prevailed with the argument that the "false" ethics form was filed in D.C. Which is why their pissing and moaning that they'd have done a better job of it had the documents not been in Alaska is really infuriating.

Anyone with half a brain knows why they wanted to have it here--there is no way a Republican can get a fair trial here. That is now perfectly obvious.

[JM Hanes]

narciso:

Actually, I think the whole concept of proportional representation on juries is racist. It presumes that black jurors and white jurors use different standards when weighing the evidence -- or that blacks and whites are not peers somehow. I note the concomitant irony that it's an 11 woman, 5 man jury which I suspect is not a DC demographic -- although I could be wrong.

[PaulL]

Drudge has up that Gov. Paterson is preparing to play the race card.

[clarice]

Stevens' lawyers argued unsuccessfully that the trial should be moved because many of the witnesses are in Alaska, and that jurors should see Stevens' Girdwood home, where Veco employees, including former chief executive officer Bill Allen, oversaw renovations in 2000 that doubled its size. They also argued that it would be disruptive for Stevens to have the trial in Washington while he runs for re-election in Alaska.

His lawyer even held up a map of the U.S., hoping to illustrate the 3,500-mile distance. The charges in the case are about events that happened in Alaska, Brendan Sullivan argued, not Washington, D.C.

"Forms were filed here? So what!" he said. "It's all about Alaska."

Brendan Sullivan also complained that federal investigators have been working on this case for several years, giving prosecutors ample opportunity to bring charges on a timetable that wouldn't have interfered with the election.

"They didn't have to bring this 28 days before a primary and 98 days before the election," he said.

But Judge Sullivan signaled early during Wednesday's hearing that he was disinclined to move the trial, in part because he had worked so hard to clear his own calendar to hear the Stevens case quickly.

"This court went to great lengths, I emphasize, great lengths, to rearrange its calendar," he said as he read his decision.

Also, prosecutors assured the judge that there would be no problem getting faraway witnesses to Washington. The trial is appropriate here, prosecutors said, since this is where they allege the crimes occurred.

"This is a proper venue for the crimes charged in the indictment," said Nicholas Marsh, one of the prosecutors with the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section.

"It's true, a lot of this relates to Alaska," Marsh added, but quibbled with Brendan Sullivan's "so what!" characterization of the disclosure forms. "These forms are very important. They serve a very important public function."

http://www.adn.com/news/politics/fbi/stevens/story/500587.html

[Topsecretk9]

Daddy --

I think you mean FBI agent Chad Joy --::wink::

BTW I was in Berkeley when you were in Berkeley - weird huh?

[daddy]

About 6 weeks ago, just after the report of the FBI Whistleblower came out, a guest appeared on a local Anchorage Talk Radio Show. (Probably on Halcro or Fagan). I don't have his name, but he was I believe a former Attorney General or Deputy Attorney General for the State of Alaska. The paper was hammering FBI Agent Gay at the time, using various sources to deminish or discount his trustworthyness and knowledge. One apparently well respected guy cited in the ADN Story, critical of Gay, was given plenty of airing to discount Agent Gay. This call in radio show guy was the one who said what the media adoing was terrible, because the guy they were citing as authoritative in y were concealing that the guy who was being given a soapbox to discount Gay, was in fact a former Alaskan FBI Agent who absolutely knew the folks Gay was finger pointing at, =and this supposed unbiased witness against Gay had provided a job at the port for the spouse of one of the witnesses in this case. I wish I could remember this Former Attorney general guys name, but I don't have it and don't have the time or access to do it for a few days. He seems to me to probably be a guy worth contacting who could give us a whole lot more of the particulars of just how incestuous of a fiasco this entire Alaskan witch hunt was. Sorry I can't be of more use. But I am sick of the history of these things always being written and presented to the public by Left wing cronies with tons of bias and tons of reasons for being biased. Keep slugging away Clarice. Gotta' go.

[Topsecretk9]

Generally there are a number of factors to consider about the proper venue; where the crime occurred, where the witnesses and evidence are located are the most important.

Which is exactly the GOVT argument to KEEP William Jefferson's trial in Virginia vs moving it to DC - majority of the crimes took place there

[narciso]

I know, it ought to be about character, but how the heck do you judge that, but preemptory challenges have given the way,Clarice was right, the fix was in, they
wanted a Republican scalp that would fit in with the 'culture of corruption' meme, that they tied Delay too, it didn't matter that they threw out the indictment afterwards

[clarice]

In this case, where the alleged crime occurred seems to be a minor nexus compared to the location of the witnesses and other evidence in Alaska.Judge Sullivan had to know what a disadvantage it was to Stevens to have it heard here. His schedule shuffling to the contrary notwithstanding, he could have and should have allowed the case to be heard there.

[daddy]

Well crud I knew it had 3 letters and he was happy...Joy, Gay, whatever. Arrrrrgh.

[clarice]

In further response to daddy's comment about Persons--As I recall, the defense was surprised by the Allen testimony that Persons had told him to ignore the Toricelli letter because there was nothing in the materials the prosecution gave the defense that indicated that .Turns out there wasn't because Allen had never said that until he was on the stand..and his contrary statement (in which he said nothing about Persons)on Apr 15 2008 about five months before the indictment was never given the defense.
So, I am sure the defense didn't call Persons (as they didn't know this was an issue) and the prosecution didn't (because he surely would have contradicted Allen, the prosecutoion's star witness).

[daddy]

And double crud TS, why weren't you at The Raleigh(now Manny's) Tavern on Telegraph? On 2nd thought, maybe you were, but you were smart enough not to disturb the raving lunatic sitting at the Bar hollering at The Student Newspaper. Great weather, eh? Bye Bye.

[narciso]

So there was even less grounds than one could imagine for a cross country change of venue. I've given up expecting consistency from Fagan or Halcro, but don't they have statues of Stevens in their homes, what would be the point of them supporting an attack against their faction, I can understand their animus against a reformer; "you're right, forget it Jake, it's ChinaTown"

[clarice]

I think I posted this today on an earlier thread, but it is a very good analysis of the April 15 interview problewms and the perfidy of the OPI team..bunch of rats:

http://letterofapology.com/2009/04/04/reflections-on-the-stevens-debacle/>Ratsos Inc

[torabora]

Hmmm...there are quite a few high profile ***** people who all have one thing in common (other than that).

They're incompetent.

Of course my noticing makes me a you know what...

[Rick Ballard]

"makes me a you know what..."

Sentient being?

[clarice]

Here's more from Wisenberg whose (very good) stuff I've never read before today:

Lessons For Federal Prosecutors From The Ted Stevens Case
April 5, 2009 in Brady Issues, DOJ Issues by Solomon Wisenberg | No comments

Lesson #1: Don’t ever conduct a pre-indictment witness interview that fails to generate a 302 or similar report. In fact, don’t ever conduct a post-indictment witness interview that fails to generate a 302, unless it is a genuine testimony prep session. If exculpatory information is revealed during a testimony prep session, turn it over to the defense.

Lesson #2: Look to the exculpatory information and not the format, if any, in which it is memorialized. If a witness reveals exculpatory information and the only written record of it is contained in privileged attorney notes, you may not have to reveal the notes but you damn well better reveal the exculpatory information.

Lesson #3: In a white collar case, unless there are issues of witness intimidation, turn over all 302s to the defense before the trial. Yes, I know, most 302s do not constitute Jencks material, unless the agent who prepared them is testifying. But every 302 of a testifying witness contains potential Brady material. Do you really want to be worrying during trial whether a witness’ real time testimony is inconsistent with the information contained in his six previous 302s? Turn the stuff over and concentrate on winning your case. The federal criminal trial system is already heavily weighted in favor of the prosecution. If your case is so weak that you are afraid of turning over the 302s to the defense, maybe it is time to re-think your case.

[Captain Hate]

Clarice, allow me to say you've been on a roll recently with a certain added edge to your comments.

[clarice]

Gosh, thanks. I am feeling very old and slow lately.

[Topsecretk9]

Clairice

I am weary of Solomon Wisenberg myself because he was/is a Fitzgerald bootlicker.

[clarice]

Was he, ts..But he has good ideas on discovery for prosecutors and some sharp observations on Stevens.

TS--Your memory is so good. Do you remember which lawyers argues the subpoena issued before Judge Hogan?

[clarice]

My first reaction is that the Stevens case doesn't appear to have been more poorly handled by the prosecution than the Libby case but that the issues were so much simpler in Stevens that the sleight of hand was far more obvious...and of course there was no whistleblower on the inside in the Libby case.

[bad]

Well, at least Morris is consistent in her incompetence.

[clarice]

Appears to be, bad, but her staff doesn't seem like rocket scientists either..Niters.

[bad]

Sweet dreams, Clarice

[Topsecretk9]

Gee, I am sorry Clarice I don't.

[Stephen Jay Aldrich jr.]

Well,
Greetings to all, I do believe that this is the first time Ive seen more than two people agree that washington is now one of the most corupt places in our beloved country.
Mr. Stevens represented his state from within himself, with his beliefs, I believe with his heart. And the mere fact that our governement within itself, can remove this man in such a way under these circumstances is down right scary and totally appaling.
Its no wonder that the popularity of our governor Sarah Palin still stikes fear in the hearts of the ones in control even now ...

[narciso]

It does seem that way, Steven, realreformers
like the good Governor,now, they seem in an undue haste to discredit, by political and media pressures rather than strictly legal ones. False ones like Eliot Spitzer, and say John Edwards to cite just two examples
they are all too eager to exhonerate and exhalt if neccesary.
Judge Sullivan, has in an interestingchoice of priorities has been at the forefront of the release of Gitmo terrorists, like his former colleague Atty General Holder, while seemingly distinguishing Bagram, in a recent piece, allowing one detainee to adversely stigmatize the witness testimony of another against a series of terrorist suspects,

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vjnjagvet]

Clarice:

If DOJ doesn't take your advice, they are complete fools. That is just getting back to the way the Department was run twenty years ago.

[Captain Hate]

I do believe that this is the first time Ive seen more than two people agree that washington is now one of the most corupt places in our beloved country.

Welcome Stephen but really?? That situation usually exists when I'm with two somewhat sympatico individuals.

[clarice]

Here's the LAT story:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-stevens12-2009apr12,0,1940960.story>Looks like Nicholas Marsh is going to be Singled Out

Marsh is the guy who introduced into evidence the time sheet of a VECO employee who it later turns out was not in Alaska at the time the work was done and could NOT have done it. The defense found out only when the judge forced OPI to turn over the transcript of the gj testimony which established that.When called on the carpet about it, Marsh had no explanation for his introduction of evidence he knew to be false.

[syn]

There is no Justice in America anymore, it has been killed by too many lawyers educated by Darwinian apes who believe themselves smart just because they evolved from slime.

[RichatUF]

clarice-

It couldn't be Morris so they are going with the easiest of the bunch. It should work out well for the Administration though: the media won't make too much noise so they be able to continue with the "Theory of the Partisan" theory of justice; the Administration will be able to install even bigger partisians and radicals into the OPR and Public Integrity section to continue their war against the opposition; and since they cocked up the Stevens prosecution so badly, they'll let a raft of corrupt democrats and democrat leaning officials skate (folks like Jefferson who were recorded by the FBI accepting a 90k bribe or the Pig Murtha and the PMA group).

I find it interesting that Morris seemed to run the Public Integrity Division almost like an adjunct of CREW and the Democratic party-Weldon, US Attorney "firings", Stevens-but couldn't be bothered to pursue the Jefferson matter with any vigor at all.

[narciso]

It's a distressing realization, considering she was also involved in the Abramoff investigation, which involved probably every
aspect of government policy on boath sides
of the aisle, including the Obama campaign
coffers as early as 2005. The fact that Morris, started out with Morgenthau, does
tarnish my respect for the man ,who I thought was fair, although the BCCI inestigation left some doubts in the matter.

[Jane]

So when are we going to start hearing about the FBI agent who slept with the government witness? We need names.

[clarice]

I believe the name of the agent was disclosed though I can't find it right now. She is supposed to have slept with the govt's "chief wirness" who I take to be Bob Allen.

[clarice]

Here Jane:
"He also said the lead FBI agent in charge of the investigation, Mary Beth Kepner, had an inappropriate relationship with witness Bill Allen, the Alaska millionaire at the center of the investigation. Joy said he once saw Kepner entering Allen's hotel room alone and that Kepner told Joy that she wore a skirt during her appearance at the Stevens trial as a "surprise/present" for Allen.

He accused her of developing close personal relationships with other witnesses — inviting them to dine at her home, revealing details of FBI investigations and accepting gifts from them, including a job for her husband as a security guard at the Port of Anchorage, Alaska."

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100692719

[clarice]

Kepner is the gal with the backpack standing on the left hand side of the picture which Tom posted at the head of this thread.

[Captain Hate]

OMG she might be the homliest person I've seen this month; Bill Allen, despite all his millions, must be the lonliest person in the world. Or had he been sequestered for years?

[Captain Hate]

lonliest = loneliest

[Captain Hate]

homliest = homeliest

I think Kepner's image ruined my spelling

[clarice]

Allen's no Adonis himself and he apparently has suffered some brain injury.

[sbw]

Kepner told Joy that she wore a skirt during her appearance at the Stevens trial as a "surprise/present" for Allen.

Floor length.

[Rick Ballard]

Cap'n,

I must say that my first thought was "Boy, someone screwed up the prescription on the beer goggles."

[narciso]

She did what? during the trial, so how much jail time did Allen get for his ahem
"cooperation" with the government's case.
It sounds like a greater example of Radler vs. Black with Fitz, or agent Connolly with the Bulger's, the inspiration for the malevolent Frank Costello, of the Departed.

[Thomas Collins]

"Old and slow," clarice? Seems to me from your posts and American Thinker writings that you are getting juiced up to write a book!

You want names concerning Stevens case dalliances, Jane? I want videos!

[Captain Hate]

Allen's no Adonis himself and he apparently has suffered some brain injury.

I don't care; my faith in mankind has been irreparably damaged (along with my spelling).

bad, hold me please!!!

[Captain Hate]

Kepner told Joy that she wore a skirt during her appearance at the Stevens trial as a "surprise/present" for Allen.

Floor length.

Burka please!!!

[Captain Hate]

I must say that my first thought was "Boy, someone screwed up the prescription on the beer goggles."

Rick, I'd think the amount of inebriation required to make that look attractive would cause ED, if not intense vomiting.

[Mark]

Tom, you are as hypocritical as the WaPo and NY Times. You are connecting the dots, but won't stand up and post the fruit of your dot connecting efforts:
Stevens was ONLY convicted because he is white and victimized by a black majority jury and black prosecutor.

This is what you are trying to say by using the "ploy of letting a picture substitute for a word or two" and failing to explicitly tell us "Ms. Morris's primary qualification for the assignment".

Grow some balls and embrace your inner plumber. Say it proud!

[boris]

ONLY convicted because he is white

Well that and the false testimony.

[clarice]

Nicholas (his ass is grass) Marsh is the chap on the left hand side of this snap:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/065gckqddHdkV/610x.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.daylife.com/photo/065gckqddHdkV&usg=___lCySqcYVtyIv3FL3q3sGuTUIv0=&h=477&w=610&sz=49&hl=en&start=14&sig2=DhZ1DbCFDJgJDWmUPCDZtQ&tbnid=AimT9K1I_KbBIM:&tbnh=106&tbnw=136&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnicholas%2Bmarsh%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG&ei=rE3jScSkFJrMMsDwnIMK>Who you don't want to be now

[Ranger]

The real question here is if Marsh will be a "good soldier" and take one for the team in the hopes that after all this is over he will get a nice, cushy gig at some Dem lobbying firm.

[Ignatz]

Nicholas (his ass is grass) Marsh is the chap on the left hand side of this snap

Looks more like these three incognito, reading left to right, our perspective,;
Larry (in drag),
Moe (wind blew the bowl-cut bangs apart momentarily)
Curly (lost his razor).

[clarice]

ranger, I suspect they are all blaming eachother. My question is how deeply and thoroughly will Schuelke and the D oJ pry?
Schuelke's portfolio appears to be this case alone. Will DoJ 's investigation go beyond this. I'd be surprised--unless someone under investigation starts really blabbing or threatening that if prosecuted he/she intends to establish that this was a pattern and practice, not a one off event.

[ben]

"Tom, you are as hypocritical as the WaPo and NY Times."

I really admire Tom, but I doubt he is in their class.

"This is what you are trying to say by using the "ploy of letting a picture substitute for a word or two" and failing to explicitly tell us "Ms. Morris's primary qualification for the assignment".

I have a question for you Mark. If you were a conservative Republican from Alaska and you had the choice between being tried in Alaska or tried in DC with a black prosecutor and an 80% black jury pool your choice would be where exactly? And let me know if you think your answer is racist.

[Ranger]

Well, what is needed here is to use the Left's own tricks against them. Steven's should use the judge's dismissal here as the basis of a Civil Rights action against the DoJ. He was clearly denied his basic civil right of a fair trial by the prosecution's misconduct. That would force DoJ to produce a lot of information in discovery. Once that information is forced to the light, others such as Libby could file similar cases.

[Old Lurker]

If Clarice is old and slow, there is no hope for the rest of us.

[clarice]

Thanks, OL--You are way too generous.

Ranger, both defendants were forced to pay a great deal to defend themselves--I know Libby still owes a lot and his huge fine had to have cleaned out the family account. I think such a suit would cost a fortune and would keep them from moving on with their lives.

We have to find a way to force DoJ to do a thorough, far reaching investigation which covers everything OPI has been involved in since Morris was named the head of the division.

[cathyf]

The other part of the venue scandal is actually more innocent (at least innocent on the jury's part.) Which is that in DC that sort of renovation could easily have cost $250,000. Because in DC all real estate is, and has been since the early 70's, astonishingly, ridiculously, overpriced. This means that any DC resident, even the a staunch republican, starts out with a prejudicial sympathy towards the prosecution's argument.

Tell us, clarice -- you've had work done on your house, and you've seen the pictures of the Stevens house. If this house were in DC, the $250,000 claim would be completely plausible, right? Even without all of the issues of DC's completely out-of-the-mainstream politics, the issue of DC''s completely out-of-the-mainstream should have all by itself totally sufficient to get the venue changed.

[clarice]

Well, as you know the traditional house in the city is a brick colonial, not a wooden a frame but that being said --the median price for even the smallest, oldest one in decent repair and a decent neighborhood is I think about $800k.

[cathyf]

"...the issue of DC''s completely out-of-the-mainstream real estate should have all by itself totally sufficient to get the venue changed."

[clarice]

If you go to Zillow, the figure is lower but most of those listed houses are in the suburbs or in neighborhoods you wouldn't live in.

Here is a typical family house in a good neighborhood that just sold (price $829k)

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3931-Livingston-St-NW-Washington-DC-20015/444964_zpid/>DC realty

[Mark]

"you had the choice between being tried in Alaska or tried in DC"

I was just pointing out that Tom used the exact same weasel techniques as the liberal media to make his point. The non nod wink wink suggests some shame in calling a spade a spade.

[JM Hanes]

clarice: You know you're not in Kansas anymore when the lot size is listed in square feet!

cathyf:
That does add another wrinkle. A real estate agent also once suggested I do some selected upgrades before putting an older house on the market, because a buyer would always think it was going to be more expensive than it actually was.

[boris]

"Tom used the exact same weasel techniques"

I see. So pointing out weasel techniques and mocking them is EXACTLY the same thing as "using them".

What fantasy land are you from and do they have rides there?

[clarice]

Yes--and please note for that the main rooms are not large, the yard is postage sized, there is no central air, something hard to live with in D.C. summers..it's a nice house in a nice neighborhood but nothing special in any way at all.

[PeterUK]

A grateful Somalia shows its gratitude to Congresman Donald Payne.
Hopey changey,very quickly.

[RichatUF]

clarice-

Here is what they were up to in 2005. Imagine my surprise that they were involved in the Berger matter as well.

Oh, noticed that an FBI agent was investigated and convicted of failing to pay taxes for 2 years. He was dismissed from the FBI, had to pay back taxes, interest and penalties, and sentenced to 4 months probation. Tax Chisler Geithner was promoted to Treasury Secterary.

Other years are here in the center of the page. And I feel so much better knowing that they handle election crimes as well. Wonder if ACORN had Brenda Morris' number on speed dial?

[JM Hanes]

"I was just pointing out that Tom used the exact same weasel techniques as the liberal media to make his point."

That was precisely the point that Tom was making, Mark! It's not PC to identify Morris as black any more, so the press uses photos to insinuate that race is part of the story. Of course, it didn't hurt that Morris is an attractive woman who also looks positively weighed down with files -- which just happens to be a key part of the reporter's narrative.

[Fresh Air]

So when did Clinton appoint Morris, if I may ask?

[Old Lurker]

CathyF is correct of course about the "monopoly money" associated with DC real estate. My parents visited once and noted an Arlington, Va post war boom neighborhood where they had lived as 50's vintage new lawyers in which the small brick houses cost them $4,800, circa 1950. Recent sales there average $600,000 and peak at $650,000. I thought all along that was one of the govt motivations re venue.

[Ranger]

Also, I would think that the AG of Alaska shoud be able to sue the DoJ for violating the civil rights of the all those who voted in the last election for senator. They were entitled to a free and fair vote, which was aboused by the DoJ in corruptly convicting a candidate before the election.

Also, I think the Civil Rights statues force the defendant to pay the plaintif's legal costs. It also alows for massive damages. I don't see how anyone could defend the prosecutors here against the clear civil rights violations they committed here.

[RichatUF]

FA-

Here is the Senior staff listed in 2004:

The section management included: Noel L. Hillman, Chief; Stuart Goldberg, Principal Deputy Chief; Raymond Hulser, Deputy Chief for Policy and Administration; Brenda Morris, Deputy Chief for Litigation; Peter Ainsworth, Deputy Chief for Litigation; Craig Donsanto, Director, Election Crimes Branch; and Bill Corcoran, Senior Counsel.

The sample of reports I looked at didn't include a breakout of the senior staff prior to that year. Good news, the election crimes they investigate include campaign finance violations-yea!!!!

[RichatUF]

Ranger-

I don't see how anyone could defend the prosecutors here against the clear civil rights violations they committed here.

In the Morris interperation of justice, Republicans don't have civil rights. Wonder how many other career lawyers in the Justice Department have cost the government at least 1.3 million dollars for misconduct and went on to get promoted? I'm sure it is a pretty short list.

[narciso]

That maybe why they're forestalling or trying to checkmate the appointment of the new Atty General, who happens to be a strong
constitutionalist.

[RichatUF]

FA-

Here is Morris' bio which has been posted here before. She joined the department in 1991.

Not getting anything on the FEC lookup and the Global Forum V looks to be an transnationalist anti-corruption conference.

[Mark]

"so the press uses photos to insinuate that race is part of the story"

Well I missed the whole shebang then. I thought the press was too blind to see when whites are victimized by blacks, and that this post was saying they couldn't connect the obvious dots even when they had the information in their own articles. But if they can see it and tell us even with a picture, then it means they are not stupid as they act. My apologies for missing the point, but it's pretty confusing to a regular guy when no one is stating the obvious.

[sbw]

I am now moving my left foot. I am now moving my right foot.

Gotta love comedy.

[glenda]

Clarice...

Did the Raines $9 million house in your neighborhood sell, yet? To think he bought that on ill-gained Fannie/Freddie $$ still makes me gag. When will the dems greed ever be a part the history we need not repeat?

The FBI adultress/sleaze....it must have been the power of her ability to suppress evidence that was the attraction...and that is so sad. Rick--beer goggles--LOL!

[RichatUF]

Ooops, here is the Georgetown bio. Goofed the link.

[Jane]

but it's pretty confusing to a regular guy when no one is stating the obvious.

Mark,

TM rarely states the obvious. I usually have to rely on smarter people than me to explain it to me. No sweat.

[Don]

Clarice
Is it possible that Morris had supervision or influence over Sandypants Burger's initial sweetheart plea deal?

[clarice]

Thanks, Richard. IIRC she wasn't made head of the section until 2006. But it is interesting to know that section handled the Berger case, isn't it?

Glenda, yes Raines house sold a few months ago.

[clarice]

From the GT bio above--"In August 2006, Professor Morris was promoted to the position of Principal Deputy Chief. "

Hurray I still remember something!!