respect for the law at an ALL TIME LOW

Leaker invokes Libby commutation in plea for leniency

SARA CISCO — An attorney who admitted leaking the confidential grand jury testimony of slugger Barry Bonds to the media asked a federal judge for leniency Tuesday, noting that President Bush commuted I. Lewis "Scooter" "Stooge" "Fall Guy" "Not Dick 'Dick' (Dick) Dick" "Wrong Guy" Libby's prison sentence for a similar crime.

In doing so, Troy Ellerman joins a growing a list of defendants across the country who have made the same arguments for leniency since Bush said the former vice presidential aide's 2½-year sentence for leaking the name of a CIA operative was too harsh and commuted it to probation and a fine.
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Ellerman was a successful Sacramento attorney (in udder werds, not one of those minorities who belongs in prison) when Victor Conte, founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, hired him following the raid on the Burlingame nutritional supplements lab, as part of the government probe.

Ellerman pleaded guilty to four felony counts of obstruction of justice and related charges in February.

His lawyer, Scott Tedmon, urged the judge to consider Libby's commutation when he sentences Ellerman on Thursday.

"As with Mr. Libby, Troy Ellerman is a (white lawyer type) first-time offender with (white lawyer type) years of exceptional work as an (white lawyer type) attorney in both the (white) public and (lawyer) private sectors," Tedmon argued in the court filing... (you know, he's just like you and me... it would be like sending one of us to prison...)

Tedmon noted that Libby and Ellerman were both convicted of leaking confidential information to reporters and then lying to investigators.

But he said there was one dramatic difference between their cases: "Mr. Libby's conduct involved matters of national security, while Mr. Ellerman's conduct has no nexus to national security." (Sounds like dis Tedman feller is really starting to hate freedom...)

Tedmon said in an interview Tuesday that both men have suffered embarrassment... (well then... isn't that punishment enough?)