On July 24 Cato held a book forum on Sidney Powell’s new book, “Licensed to Lie: Exposing Corruption in the Department of Justice” (earlier). Participants included the author Sidney Powell, with comments by Alex Kozinski, Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; and Ronald Weich, Dean, University of Baltimore Law School. My colleague Tim Lynch, who directs Cato’s work on criminal justice issues, moderated. From the description:
In Licensed to Lie, attorney Sidney Powell takes readers through a series of disturbing events, missteps, and cover-ups in our federal criminal justice system. According to Powell, the malfeasance stretches across all three branches of our government — from the White House to the U.S. Senate, to members of the judiciary. Even worse, the law itself is becoming pernicious. Americans can now be prosecuted, convicted, and imprisoned for actions that are not crimes. And if acquitted, there is no recourse against prosecutors who hid evidence vital to the defense.
Powell gives a detailed account of the prosecution and imprisonment of individual executives of well-known firms such as Merrill Lynch based on creative new theories of criminal liability, following dubious prosecutorial conduct including the withholding of evidence favorable to the defense, so-called Brady violations.
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[…] No jokes about this one. Corruption in the Department of Justice. (Overlawyered) […]
I looked up Leslie Caldwell. She reminds me of Ursula singing “Poor Unfortunate Souls.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyFVG4VfPmg
Great panel.
Two years ago I ranted against the prosecutors in the Penn State Sandusky scandal. It was a clear and disquieting case of community madness. Walter Olson dismissed me as being a nut about it.
One fellow, John Ziegler, took up the mistreatment of Joe Paterno by Penn State in his blog framingpaterno.com. After working the cause 0ver a year, Ziegler finally found that Sandusky himself was undoubtedly innocent. John Ziegler now reports that all who know the case now see it as I do. The Penn State BOT is going to review the Free report and there is hope that some judge will let the law and facts prevail. A CATO treatment could give cover to a responsible judge, if there is one in PA. Sandusky’s jury and Judge Cleland felt their duty was to remove a pedophile from the community. Sandusky’s innocence was not considered. The boys all said they had high powered lawyers even though they were considered victims by all. The lawyers were to help with the media. Those same high powered lawyers took Penn State to the cleaners for $60 million.
By the way, Associate Justice Sotomayor’s decision in the Skilling case was brilliant.
Sorry, wrong link.\ youtube.com/watch?v=VyFVG4VfPmg