Scooter and ‘Long Ball Walton’

November 3, 2005

Scooter Libby is back in the news, this time pleading not guilty to the five charges brought by Patrick Fitzgerald.

Vice President Dick Cheney’s former top adviser made his first court appearance Thursday, pleading not guilty to felony charges of lying to investigators and a grand jury in the probe into a leak of a CIA agent’s name.

I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby appeared before U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton, who set the next court date for February 3 and released Libby on his own recognizance.

“With respect your honor, I plead not guilty,” Libby said.

This hardly comes as a surprise; Libby’s lawyers told reporters he’d plead not guilty. I’m curious, however, about the judge.

A Justice Department source said that Judge Walton is known by the nickname “Long Ball Walton” since he seems to like going for prison sentences that are as long as possible.

Unlike Tom DeLay, Scooter won’t be able to get around this judge — Walton was nominated in 2001 by George W. Bush.

Also, Libby was booked after the hearing, but we won’t be getting a mugshot. The Marshals Service said it does not release booking photos unless the defendant becomes a fugitive. It seems unlikely.

Run, Scooter, run! We want to see that mugshot!

Gotta love the irony– Bush’s cronies going before judges that he nominated!

  • Is there any word on whether Walton’s being appointed by Bush will be a conflict of interest?

  • The nickname gives rise to the thought of how amusing it would be to imagine Bill Walton (not Judge Reggie, here) sitting in a judge’s robes up on a dais. Good ol’ Grateful Dead lovin’, red-hair floppin’ Bill, sitting up there looking stern and handing out sentences.

  • Off topic question: what does the initial I stand for (as in I. Lewis Libby)? I googled this but couldn’t find any references to his first initial. Could it be something really unusual like Igor, Ignatz, or — errr hmmm — Indicted?

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