Sen. Larry Craig
filed papers today to withdraw his guilty plea. Just check out some of his reasoning, as offered by the AP:
In a "state of intense anxiety" following his arrest, Craig "felt compelled to grasp the lifeline offered to him by the police officer" and plead guilty to the disorderly conduct charge in hopes the matter would not be made public, said the court papers filed in Hennepin County District Court.
The filing said Craig panicked and accepted the plea rather than seeking the advice of an attorney. As a result, Craig's guilty plea was not "knowingly and understandingly made," and the evidence against him insufficient to support the plea, the papers said.
So he didn't know what he was doing, and he didn't consult a lawyer. I ask, do you want somebody like this representing you in Congress?
Craig's three-page guilty plea includes acknowledgments that, "I understand that the court will not accept a plea of guilty from anyone who claims to be innocent," "I now make no claim that I am innocent...," and, "I did the following: Engaged in conduct which I knew or should have known tended to arouse alarm or resentment...." Craig signed the bottom of each page.
He made the plea. He signed the plea. It's a done deal. Obviously Sen. Craig does not realize he's working outside the Senate chamber, where there is no Motion To Reconsider to lay upon the table.
Motions to withdraw a guilty plea are usually heard by the same judge who heard the original case, usually at least two weeks after they're requested, court officials have said.
Somewhere, I can hear that judge laughing.
No comments:
Post a Comment