Cheney, Gonzales Arraignment Set For Friday

RAYMONDVILLE, Texas — A Texas judge has set a Friday arraignment for Vice President Dick Cheney, former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and others named in indictments accusing them of responsibility for prisoner abuse in a federal detention center.

Cheney, Gonzales and the others will not be arrested, and do not need to appear in person at the arraignment, Presiding Judge Manuel Banales said.

In the latest bizarre development in the case, the lame-duck prosecutor who won the indictments was a no-show in court Wednesday. The judge ordered Texas Rangers to go to Willacy County District Attorney Juan Guerra's house, check on his well-being and order him to court on Friday.

Half of the eight high-profile indictments returned Monday by a Willacy County grand jury are tied to privately run federal detention centers in the sparsely populated South Texas county. The other half target judges and special prosecutors who played a role in an earlier investigation of Guerra.

One indictment charges Cheney and Gonzales with engaging in organized criminal activity. It alleges that the men neglected federal prisoners and are responsible for assaults in the facilities.

The grand jury accused Cheney of a conflict of interest because of his influence over the county's federal immigrant detention center and his substantial holdings in the Vanguard Group, which invests in private prison companies.

The indictment accuses Gonzales of stopping an investigation into abuses at the federal detention center.

An attorney for the private prison operator The GEO Group filed motions accusing Guerra of "prosecutorial vindictiveness."

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One motion said Guerra had hijacked "the grand jury process and disregarded the requirements of the Code of Criminal Procedure designed to protect defendants' due process rights."

Some attorneys argued that Banales may not have the authority to schedule an arraignment because the indictments were invalid. One lawyer said Guerra never should have been allowed to present the cases to the grand jury because at least four of the indictments deal with people who had some role in the investigation of his office last year.

"He is the witness, the victim and the prosecutor," said the attorney for Mervyn Mosbacker Jr., a former U.S. attorney who was appointed special prosecutor to investigate Guerra.

District Clerk Gilbert Lozano, District judges Janet Leal and Migdalia Lopez, and special prosecutors Mosbacker and Gustavo Garza, a longtime political opponent of Guerra, were all indicted on charges of official abuse of official capacity and official oppression.

The grand jury tied all of their charges to an earlier investigation of Guerra's office.

Banales dismissed an indictment against Guerra last month charging him with extorting money from a bail bond company and using his office for personal business. An appeals court had earlier ruled that a special prosecutor was improperly appointed to investigate Guerra.

After Guerra's office was raided as part of the investigation early last year, he camped outside the courthouse in a borrowed camper with a horse, three goats and a rooster. He threatened to dismiss hundreds of cases because he believed local law enforcement had aided the investigation against him.

Guerra has been in office nearly 20 years, but was defeated in the March Democratic primary.

Comments

[Okieborn]

This is all about theatrics NOT CONVICTION !!!
America cannot be fooled anymore by this Bush Gang !!!!

[blueskybigstar]

I think we would all better be able to survive a depression or a recession if the criminals who caused it were brought to justice. Is Bush still for capital punishment?

[DACme]

I thought it was a mistake several years ago when the US Supreme Court ruled that a sitting president (and by extension the VP and members of the cabinet) could be sued while in office. I thought it prudent to extend the statute of limitations in any case involving these officials, in order to avoid the distraction of nuisance law suits. While I believe both Bush and Cheney are war criminals, there is a constitutional means to remove them from office. Only then should criminal prosecutions take place. I regret that our Congress does not have the backbone to take such an action, but the indictment against Cheney and Gonsalez can wait a couple of months.

[Felicty]

These fu ckers will get away with their crimes.

These "arraignments" are just a distraction.

[blueskybigstar]

Can we get the nation to take a day off work to protest, to show the Democratic party and the rest of the Republicans left to impeach now? These people are d a n g e r o u s and should not be on the street.

[LesserOf2Evils]

I would much prefer they be nailed to a cross and crucified, but like the song says...you can't always get what you want....

This trial may be a big set up, as they will be found innocent so they could not be charged again by a legitimate organized prosecutor down the road.
Or maybe Guerra is serious and will do his best.
Either way, these two bloody criminals (and Bush) are only still here because of Nancy Pelosi and her helpful efforts on their behalf.

[Grannysue]

I think we should keep GITMO open, release all those that have been held without trial and send Cheney, Bush, Gonzo, Rummy, Wolfawitz et al there. Hold them and somday get around to charging them and letting them speak to lawyers!

[sunbeltvoter]

I'd love to listen in on this phone call:

"W? VP Cheney here. Listen, I have a little problem down in Texas. Just checking to make SURE we have outlawed waterboarding for ALL federal prisoners, foreign and domestic. . ."

[RaraAvis17]

Their both being found guilty and sentenced to 25 years to life would make a great Christmas present for the WHOLE country even for years to come.

[jemiltd]

This should have happened years ago. Does anyone besides me remember that when there was initially questions raised and investigations started into Cheney, then suddenly we were at war in Iraq?
Maybe my memory is fading, but I remember having that thought of a diversion from Cheney. You also might enjoy this YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PQqiaJm3Ds

[blueskybigstar]

"He is the witness, the victim, and the prosecutor."

That to me coming from Cheney's lawyer is an implicit t h r e a t. Why did he not show up?

[leeman79]

Save this photo. That's what the reaction will look like after the decision is read.

[blueskybigstar]

Let us pray for Guerra's well being.

[frost12]

THIS IS ALL A RUSE. DON'T DRINK THE KOOL-AID.

[blueskybigstar]

Explain. You believe Cheney does not conspire and collude and has not made his fortune on other people's b l o o d?

[ihavehope]

I'm still waiting for the headline: "Cheney and Gonzales Arraignment at the Hague set for Friday".

[blooddoc]

Another fantasy: orange jumpsuits, handcuffs, perp walk in front of a phalanx of cameras.

[PresWatch]

Add Condi and Rummy and Kristol and a whole lot of others to the criminal mix.

[littleblackcat]

All of these things needs to brought to the public eye, charges made (publicly) witnesses lined up, and ALL TRIALS should be POSTPONED until January 26, 2009. bushit won't be able to pardon anyone then and they would get the prison sentences they so richly deserve.

[blueskybigstar]

I don't believe the president can pardon state charges.

[DACme]

To the extent that presidents follow Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations, it states:

"Sec. 1.4 Offenses against the laws of possessions or territories of the United States.

Petitions for executive clemency shall relate only to violations of laws of the United States. Petitions relating to violations of laws of the possessions of the United States or territories subject to the jurisdiction of the United [[Page 97]] States should be submitted to the appropriate official or agency of the possession or territory concerned."

[jmad]

Cheney is one difib pulse from his meeting with the grim reaper. Give him a push.

[leatherneck1971]

The best karmic justice is these men/women whom worshipped at the Bushite altar of their messiah, is they will go down in history books as criminals, whether convicted as such does not matter, since they thrive on their self righteous images of themselves, their vanity will be what hurts them in the end, since one cannot help but see them as the most hated, dispised ex-politicians in recent history and they will go down in comparison to Herbert Hoover who rightly or wrongly ushered in the 1st great depression, and these ex-bushites will get the credit for this impending 2nd great depression, which I sadly cannot see us avoiding, stock market is crashed, economy is ruined, only saving grace is just as in the 1st great depression a democratic controlled white house is on the horizon, but history tells us, it will not be a blessed period but one of hardships, hard decisions and long suffering till we pull ou to this mess the right wing, compassionate, conservative, self righteous hypocrites have gotten us into!

[blueskybigstar]

Don't forget the w a r c r i m e s which puts him up their with Pinochet. Don't forget about how many Iraqis have d i e d since we got there or how many refugees there are.