Comments on: Siegelman Asks 11th Circuit to Rehear Case

By: buzzflash.net

buzzflash.net — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 17:04:05 +0000

Siegelman Asks 11th Circuit to Rehear Case…

"Former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman and HealthSouth founder Richard Scrushy are asking the full 12-judge Eleventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta to rehear the appeal in their political prosecution primarily on the basis that the alleg…

By: Yana Davis

Yana Davis — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:17:34 +0000

Nonpolitical justice is elusive even in a system that, in theory anyway, is based on the rule of law and the equality of all before the law. My bet is that the en banc llth Circuit judges will not overturn the 3-judge panel ruling, and that an appeal will then be filed with the Supreme Court. The latter has a majority of Republican appointees, not that it should make any difference, but my guess is that it will.

Ultimately, it may require a campaign to persuade President Obama – fortunately, himself a constitutional lawyer – that there is ample reason to doubt Don Siegelman’s guilt and to pardon him. It would be nice of the Supremes overturned the conviction, but as noted they are under no compulsion to even hear the case after the en banc 11th Circuit panel issues its ruling on appeal.

Siegelman’s conviction appears to me to be a scandalous travesty of justice, blatantly politically motivated, and reversible on the facts of the case. Let’s hope the judges in Atlanta have an attack of clear vision and see the truth in Don’s case.

By: Sarah Smith

Sarah Smith — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 01:17:51 +0000

I fully agree with Don. We as Americans have sat back entirely too long.

Do they think that we do not know that they have been choosing and picking their contributors and politicians. When do they “draw the
line” on “implied or explicit?”

If this stands the quid pro quo can be used against any and everyone.

There was no quid pro quo. What is indicated is punitive using the quid pro quo.