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Home Front: WoT
Meet Jared Loughner's lawyer
2011-01-12
Quck Salon piece on Judy Clark and her previous clients. As noted in the article, there won't be much argument over guilt, given that Mr. Loughner was tackled at the scene with (literally) the smoking gun in his hand. Salon thinks that the issue then will be 'life or death', and notes the record Ms. Clark has in getting odious criminals off death row. I'll disagree: that before 'life or death' is ever considered, the court (jury and judge) will have to decide 'insane or sane', and that's the one on which I'm betting Judy Clark will hang her hat.
Posted by:Steve White

#5  Nuts don't always get a pass on the death penalty in Arizona, Mercutio. Ask Banzai Bob.
Posted by: Swamp Blondie   2011-01-12 20:47  

#4  Realistically, the guy does seem crazier than a loon. Even in Arizona, nuts get a pass on the death penalty. I just don't want to see this guy "not guilty by reason of insanity" and then released 5 years later because some panel of pshrinks say they've "cured" him.

Posted by: Mercutio   2011-01-12 14:30  

#3  If the script is already written I'm guessing that script includes multiple life sentences on the Federal charges. I would also guess that feelings are running high concerning the murders, e.g. the 9-yo girl, and that the State is going to push for the death penalty. Basically, what Anonymoose said.
Posted by: JohnQC   2011-01-12 12:22  

#2  As I've mentioned before, she, like other "top national lawyers", are brought in by the feds to insure that there will be a conviction with no chance of acquittal, and that the punishment will be exactly what the feds want.

She will perform her role in the Kabuki theater, he will think he is getting a top notch defense, but everything will turn out exactly as expected. Point shaving.

I'm pretty sure that the feds would not even allow him to be defended by some alcoholic, discount mall lawyer, as that would be a variable, that intentionally or otherwise, could lead to a non-determined outcome, like heaven forbid, an acquittal or lesser sentence than what the feds wanted.

If he insisted on such a lawyer, the IRS would suddenly discover that the lawyer he wanted had tax problems, which he probably would, plus a whole host of other things. Word would get around quick that no other lawyer should have anything to do with him.

Sucks to be "an enemy of the state".
Posted by: Anonymoose   2011-01-12 09:30  

#1  Ok, but.....he is also going to face state charges in Arizona. Arizona does send people to the death chamber.

He might get life on federal charges, but "an outspoken opponent of capital punishment ideologically sympathetic to the criminal class" is gonna have a harder time convincing a state judge and jury not to give him a special custom cocktail in Florence.
Posted by: Swamp Blondie   2011-01-12 01:41  

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