Judge Walton gets sarcastic

June 9, 2007

Emptywheel discovered a striking footnote in the court order Judge Reggie Walton issued allowing Scooter Libby’s powerful legal friends — 12 top-shelf lawyers, including Robert Bork — to issue briefs on Libby’s behalf.

It is an impressive show of public service when twelve prominent and distinguished current and former law professors of well-respected schools are able to amass their collective wisdom in the course of only several days to provide their legal expertise to the Court on behalf of a criminal defendant.

The Court trusts that this is a reflection of these eminent academics’ willingness in the future to step to the plate and provide like assistance in cases involving any of the numerous litigants, both in this Court and throughout the courts of our nation, who lack the financial means to fully and properly articulate the merits of their legal positions even in instances where failure to do so could result in monetary penalties, incarceration, or worse. The Court will certainly not hesitate to call for such assistance from these luminaries, as necessary in the interests of justice and equity, whenever similar questions arise in the cases that come before it. (emphasis added)

Ouch. Sarcasm becomes you, Judge Walton.

Let’s also not forget, my conservative friends, that Walton was a Bush appointee, nominated for his no-nonsense style.

When “Walton’s Mountain” literally falls on those who would bend Justice for “Republic-ain’t” political merit, then it serves as a gleaming example that there is still hope for the Republic. Kudos and a tip o’ the hat to Judge Walton!

  • I agree. Here’s [clink] to Judge Walton!

    Thanks for that, CB. I’ve got some lawyer friends and relations who really ought to read it, and I’ll take great delight in sending it along to them.

  • You have to remember that some, likely not very many, are true Americans who are still loyal to the rule of law and the Constitution even though they were appointed by our boy King.

    Hey, look at King George’s record and the punks under him. You think they can get anything 100% right? So yes, some appointees fell through the cracks and stayed loyal to America over their King’s minions orders, or do we call them suggestions, and look totally out of place in this Monarchy.

  • The entire graph is golden, and I really hope he carries through on this part of his ruling:

    The Court will certainly not hesitate to call for such assistance from these luminaries, as necessary in the interests of justice and equity, whenever similar questions arise in the cases that come before it.

    Wouldn’t that be brilliant? I’ve only seen pictures of Walton but he looks like the sort of chap who would take great delight in asking Bork et al to argue a c for a mother rapers and father stabbers.

    While the cameras roll of course.

    With judges like Walton you’d think the GOPers would get behind the Dems’ refusal to rubber-stamp every nominee BushBrat sends their way. Let that be the Chimperor’s legacy. He appointed judges who threw his friends in jail

    Perhaps I’m reading too much into this but I followed the links and found this:

    How appropriate that Robert Bork would weigh in on the Libby conviction to assert that Fitzgerald’s appointment might not be constitutional.

    Put this together with Walton’s statement:

    …whenever similar questions arise…

    Hmmm. Could there be any other cases about how which lawyers got a particular job in the works?

  • This is the kind of stuff — from a bush appointee much less — that gives me the little bit of hope I still have that America is not totally yet lost. Thank you Judge Walton!!

  • A Republican with integrity! What a concept! How did this guy slip through the net? I am encouraged to know that there may still be hope for our republic, and I think there are probably many Republicans that are as offended as we are, and have retained their sense of justice.

    What will it take to impeach this group of thugs? Those people writing to the judge begging for mercy seem to have lost all sense of of what America stands for. They are supposed to be the party of absolute values, and yet they seem willing to sell their souls for what? I am mystified.

  • Judge Walton’s quote, noble as it is, strikes me as more of warning than anything else. If this doesn’t point to the fact that there are “two Americas” in our justice system, as John Edwards has been saying, then I don’t know what does.

  • Need to start a T-Shirt business…

    1st Winner Front “Free Paris Hilton” Back “Rich twits shouldn’t go to jail”

    2nd Winner Front “Free Scotter Libby” Back “It ain’t a crime if a Republican does it”

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