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Wednesday, September 12, 2012

OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS

Opening Statements today at the REGJB in State v. Lebron, the horrific kidnapping, murder, sexual assault case where the prosecution is seeking the death penalty. Reid Ruben, Christine Zahralban,  and Laura Adams for the the prosecution, Jeff Fink for the first phase and Raphael Rodriguez for the penalty phase for the defense. 

What did Bush Know and when did he know it? 
Kurt Eichenwald in the NY Times Tuesday says that the president's team had more advance notice beyond the infamous August 6th briefing where the president was told "Bin Laden determined to strike US." 

The problem: The CIA was warning the president and his team of an impending attack, while the "Neo-Cons" who had their eyes on unfinished business in Iraq, were dismissive of the warnings. A clear case of not wanting to believe what you don't want to believe, despite what the evidence shows:  

By May 1, the Central Intelligence Agency told the White House of a report that “a group presently in the United States” was planning a terrorist operation. Weeks later, on June 22, the daily brief reported that Qaeda strikes could be “imminent,” although intelligence suggested the time frame was flexible...
But some in the administration considered the warning to be just bluster. An intelligence official and a member of the Bush administration both told me in interviews that the neoconservative leaders who had recently assumed power at the Pentagon were warning the White House that the C.I.A. had been fooled; according to this theory, Bin Laden was merely pretending to be planning an attack to distract the administration from Saddam Hussein, whom the neoconservatives saw as a greater threat...
In response, the C.I.A. prepared an analysis that all but pleaded with the White House to accept that the danger from Bin Laden was real.
“The U.S. is not the target of a disinformation campaign by Usama Bin Laden,” the daily brief of June 29 read...
On July 24, Mr. Bush was notified that the attack was still being readied, but that it had been postponed, perhaps by a few months. But the president did not feel the briefings on potential attacks were sufficient, one intelligence official told me, and instead asked for a broader analysis on Al Qaeda, its aspirations and its history. In response, the C.I.A. set to work on the Aug. 6 brief.
So here is what history is showing us: an administration that started a war with faulty intelligence about Saddam Hussein having WMDs, was also an administration that allowed the United States to be attacked because it ignored increasingly frantic warnings from its intelligence agency. Why were the warnings ignored? Because they didn't fit within the foreign policy/political goals of  select members of the administration who, having worked for Bush 41,  had a decades old score to settle with Saddam Hussein- who we now know presented no threat to the United States. 
If President Obama and his team made even one of the mistakes that riddled the Bush administration, they would be called traitors and Republicans would be crying for their arrest and prosecution. 
The more things change...
See You In Court. 




33 comments:

DS said...

Yesterday the US Embassy in Egypt is overrun by protesting Muslims.

This morning in Lybia,angry ,armed islamists stormed the US Embassy and KILLED the US Ambassador.

They are upset over a rumor that a movie was made in California showing or depicting (in an negative way) Mohammad.


Allah Ackbar - La ilaha ila Allah (sic)

God is Great. There is only one God- Allah

Allah is the God of Abraham/Ibraham ,Isaac & Ishmael, Moses & Jesus.

God Bless You

Cant We all just get along

Anonymous said...

DS..........just warms your heart when you think of how we've helped them, doesn't it?

BTDT

Anonymous said...

It's so painful going to Migna....

mikal said...

Sorry DS, we all can't just get along as long as some people believe in freedom of expression and some people do not.

On another note, Carlos Miller of PINAC (photography is not a crime) fame is going on trial before Judge Newman on 9-19-12 at 10 am (I think that is the correct time). This is not the first time that Mr. Miller has faced the wrath of the Miami Dade County justice system for exercising his absolute right to take photos in public places (metro rail, etc.) and of police officers doing their jobs in public.

Police officers are treating photographers more and more like potential terrorists, and an increasing number of photographers are being arrested for capturing the less flattering moments of our police officers. Photographers are being harassed, their equipment damaged, and threatened with arrest if they don't bow to the man when he demands that the just taken photos be deleted.

Carlos Miller fights the good fight for all of us. Unfortunately I will probably be out of town or I would show up and lend my support I think it is important for the legal community to show moral support for Mr. Miller. Remember this: the photo that you might be forced to delete might be the one that helps put someone behind bars.

Anonymous said...

I personally don't give a shit whether their "religious feelings were hurt". Whoever wrote that from the embassy should be fired. If they try to storm the embassy, blow their heads off. Stop helping them, giving them any aid, fighting for them, rebuilding their cities.....

That part of the world is dangerous and barbaric. There is no fix for evil. Perhaps another push of the pretty red button would do the trick....

Anonymous said...

More excellent advocacy by the Miami PD! Today they posted a picture of a defendants underwear on Facebook which resulted in a mistrial. Can you spell B A R C O M P L A I N T?

Anonymous said...

fuck all ragheads and the police as well

Anonymous said...

If we all spent more time on shumie time and less attacking DS, it would be a happier blog and courthouse. Take the rest of the day off. Have a few beers. Grab a cigar. Relax. Enjoy.

Anonymous said...

Right this minute, The Fifth Floor is reviewing ALL PDs Facebook pages for improper activities.
A stupid posting of a picture of the lucky animal print underwear the Client's family brought for him to wear under his clothes at trial , caused a mistrial in a murder case. The APD was fired and walked out of the building today.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, GWB should have declared martial law - that would have stopped the 9-11 atacks....

Anonymous said...

D.S., Williard bumbles again. Do you still stand behind the educated reference you made about Romney yesterday...?
Hm... He has the wit of a toddler.

Anonymous said...

You can get fired for posting a picture of leopard print boxers? How the fuck can that happen? How the fuck can that cause a mistrial ?

Anonymous said...

I thought defense attorneys don't like snitches. Someone had to tell someone about the Facebook post in order for the defendant to find out about it! Let Pantygate begin.

Anonymous said...

Sure Silent Charlie is looking at every employee's FB page. Ha ha.

Anonymous said...

Although that APDs judgement is posting such a picture was horrible it did not warrant getting fired. She has been a loyal employee and a good lawyer. And there must be a snitch in the PDs office. Could

Anonymous said...

The deepest sin of the human mind is to believe things without evidence.
-- Thomas Henry Huxley

Anonymous said...

Can someone please explain what you all are talking about?!

Anonymous said...

A good lawyer does not mock their client on the Internet. This type of conduct by a public employee warrants dismissal and bar discipline!

Anonymous said...

Well she did tag other people in her post including an ASA. I'm sure word got around. That's horrible that she got fired. She is pregnant too!

DS said...

AM
Doesnt he have 2 degrees from Harvard ? Might not be the brightest bulb, but a Bachelors and JD or was it MBA, from Harvard does sound like well Educated to me.

AM, I dont agree with him but I can say he is a decent guy ever if his policys are WRONG.

DS

Anonymous said...

That ASA was one of the prosecutors in HER case

Anonymous said...

Did she get fired too? Or was KFR not informed of this?

Anonymous said...

Will her husband skip his goodbye party now?

Anonymous said...

In an ongoing first degree murder trial before Judge Firtel, the defendant's family brought him some clothes to wear to court the next day which included animal print undies. The brilliant defense attorney thought the underwear were
amusing so she snapped a picture of them and posted them on her Facebook page. Somehow the defendant found out about if and moved for a mistrial which Judge Firtel granted because, you know, having your undies on the Internet undermines the entire proceeding and everything. Then the poor girl got fired despite her commitment to social justice. Oh and now all PD have to think twice about their use of social media.

Anonymous said...

Sure, the ASA is the one who told the DEFENDANT about the FB post because you know, ASAs have unfettered access to defendants who they are prosecuting.

Pantygate Update said...

Undaroooooos! They'll getcha every time!

Anonymous said...

The bigger issue isn't what the PD did, but why were these two PDs trying a homicide together? Where is the supervision? The lead ASA was admitted to the bar in July 2009 and the one that got fired in September 2008. Combined 7 years experience - the PDs office couldn't find one attorney with more than 7 years alone to sit second chair? It may have been dumb, but she shouldn't have been fired.

Anonymous said...

The photo was tagged without permission of the other parties and that ASA urged her not to photo or post it.

Anonymous said...

D.S., that goes to show that a degree on the wall doesn't mean much if you haven't any character and wits about yourself. Shameful behavior by the APD maybe Marla Levenstein can help her find a job at Legal Aid.

Anonymous said...

As for the fired PD, she was admitted to the bar in 2008; Kirlew, her partner, was admitted in 2009!! And this pair is handling a first degree murder?? Apparently, the fired lawyer isn't the only one with shockingly poor judgment in that office. Maybe the underwear was lucky after all. It got him different lawyers. Let's hope they're a bit more experienced.

Anonymous said...

Both APDs on that first degree murder had tried in excess of 70 jury trials combined and at least a dozen or so together. Both of them are "A" APDs and are assigned murder cases. If people have a problem with them being As and trying these cases, then their beef is with the legislature. This is the nature of what both offices are becoming.

Anonymous said...

They are (were) B PDs. But, both well thought if at the office.

Anonymous said...

8:41, both of them were (are)"A" APDs and had been so for quite sometime. Both of them tried murder cases before. This was not there first rodeo. She made a horrible mistake and she paid for it with her job. She should have known better. But she was ready to try murder cases and that should not be lost on anyone.