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.
Earle's statement on Tuesday said he took money-laundering and conspiracy charges to a third grand jury on Monday after prosecutors learned of new evidence over the weekend.
Lawyers for DeLay immediately called foul after Earle released his statement after 5 p.m. Tuesday.
"What could have happened over the weekend?" said Austin lawyer Bill White, who represents DeLay. "They investigate for three years and suddenly they have new evidence? That's beyond the pale!"
Can you say Witch-Hunt?
Merriam-Webster defines a witch-hunt as:
The searching out and deliberate harassment of those (as political opponents) with unpopular views.
Wikipedia describes it this way:
A witchhunt in modern terminology refers to the act of seeking and persecuting any perceived enemy, particularly when the search is conducted using extreme measures and with little regard to actual guilt or innocence.
Sometimes I have a hard time seeing the burger through the condiments, but how does repeatedly asking different grand juries to indict a man until you find one who will, differ from "seeking and persecuting any perceived enemy, particularly when the search is conducted using extreme measures and with little regard to actual guilt or innocence?"
What's next? Burning at the stake in the city square?
No comments:
Post a Comment