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Reporters to be on the Hot Seat at Libby Trial

By Jeralyn, Section Lewis Libby Indictment
Posted on Mon Nov 07, 2005 at 04:52:14 AM EST
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The Wall St. Journal (free link) today discloses Lewis Libby's latest defense strategy. Goodbye memory defense (smart move.) Hello trash the reporters.

But legal experts say Mr. Libby's attorneys, like any attorney trying to impugn the testimony of a witness in a criminal trial, will likely try to blunt the prosecution by challenging the reporters on their other sources, their memories of events in question and their own reputations.

While the judge in the case, U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton, would be able to limit the grilling of witnesses to what is relevant to the case, criminal-defense attorneys say he will have to allow at least some questions that go to the credibility and professional ability of key witnesses, which in this case are the reporters. That could include performance reviews, corrections on previous stories and internal correspondence related to the reporters or their stories.

"It's Mr. Libby's right to a fair trial versus editorial privileges, and that isn't a close question," said one attorney closely involved in the case. "Most judges will say the right to a fair trial wins. ... We're over the hump of the identity" of secret sources, the attorney added. "Now we're talking about credibility" of the reporters.

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    Reporters to be on the Hot Seat at Libby Trial | 17 comments (17 topical)
    Re: Reporters to be on the Hot Seat at Libby Trial (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:46 PM EST
    Hey, we got a two-fer! A trial that shakes the truth out of Libby and reveals the deception of the reporters at the same time. What questions, do you suppose, will Judy Miller have to respond to?

    Re: Reporters to be on the Hot Seat at Libby Trial (none / 0) (#2)
    by Quaker in a Basement on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:46 PM EST
    Terrific strategy. You can't go too far wrong calling out the self-serving ineptitude of the celebrity press corps.

    Re: Reporters to be on the Hot Seat at Libby Trial (none / 0) (#3)
    by chemoelectric on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:46 PM EST
    Quaker in a Basement sayeth:
    You can't go too far wrong calling out the self-serving ineptitude of the celebrity press corps.
    On the other hand, it may not encourage favorable news coverage. Jesse Ventura might have learned that, from the treatment he got from gleeful newsreaders every time he blamed 'the media'. I would have done the same to him. However, the national media is less competent.

    Re: Reporters to be on the Hot Seat at Libby Trial (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:46 PM EST
    Terrific strategy? Crap! This is the chief of staff of Torture Cheney. This is a cog in the outing of a CIA agent keep secret for a good cause. And why? To keep hidden lies that brought the country to attack another country that in no way threatened the United States. Yeah, it might be a strategy that may work. It may be a strategy that is part of a continuing plot to hide the truth about what can be called treason.

    Re: Reporters to be on the Hot Seat at Libby Trial (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:05:46 PM EST
    Ok, so Libby is going to attack the three reporters in the indictment who contradict his statements. Yippee.... How is going to handle the nine admin officials -- and his *own* notes -- that contradict his statements?

    Re: Reporters to be