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Scooter Libby Hearing Happening Now; Judge Was Threatened

Posted by Stephanie Taylor on June 14, 2007 at 12:18 PM

A hearing is taking place right now to determine whether Scooter Libby will remain free on bond pending his appeal--or whether he will start serving his prison time immediately. Firedoglake is liveblogging the hearing.

Libby was convicted last March on four counts of lying and obstructing a leak investigation. Bush administration officials leaked covert CIA operative Valerie Plame’s identity to reporters in 2003.

Her identity was revealed after her husband, former ambassador Joseph Wilson, accused the Bush administration of faking intelligence on Iraq before the war. The leak was widely seen as retaliation against Wilson.

Scooter Libby's conviction in the case resulted in a sentence of 30 months in prison and a $250,000 fine. Judge Reggie Walton is right now presiding over a hearing on whether or not Libby will remain free during his appeal.

It's worth noting that Judge Walton has received threatening letters and phone calls since the verdict. From the AP via ThinkProgress:

The federal judge who oversaw I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby’s CIA leak trial said Thursday that he received threatening letters and phone calls after sentencing the former White House aide to prison.

"I received a number of angry, harassing mean-spirited phone calls and letters," U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton said. "Some of those were wishing bad things on me and my family."

Walton made the remarks as he opened a hearing into whether to delay Libby’s 2 1/2-year sentence. He said he was holding the letters in case something happened but said they would have no effect on Thursday’s decision.

UPDATE: Scooter Libby must report to prison.

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