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Michael Angelo Morales Watch: Kenneth Starr to Assist Death Row Clemency Bid
Sacramento Bee: Kenneth Starr to assist death row clemency bid
Kenneth Starr, the special prosecutor who urged the impeachment of former President Clinton, is helping prepare the clemency petition for convicted murderer Michael Angelo Morales.
“He is clearly interested in this issue and has decided to take on the case,” Stella Richardson, a spokeswoman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, said of Starr.
Morales, 46, was condemned to death for the 1981 rape and murder of Terri Lynn Winchell in Lodi.
Starr could not be reached for comment Thursday. An ACLU press release said Starr is getting involved in the Morales case because the condemned inmate “immediately took responsibility for his actions, was distraught with remorse and has made impressive and consistent efforts to atone for his crime while in prison.”
The dean of the Pepperdine University law school and a practicing attorney for the Los Angeles firm of Kirkland & Ellis, Starr “was also involved in the last clemency petition granted” in Virginia by Democratic Gov. Mark Warner on Nov. 29, Richardson said. The lead defense attorney on the Morales case is Los Angeles lawyer David Senior.
The inmate’s clemency petition is scheduled to be filed today with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Morales’ execution has been scheduled for Feb. 21.
Not another clemency hearing for California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Let’s look at Morales’ crime(s):
In late 1980, Ortega told Glenda Chavez that he was angry at Winchell for
accusing him of being a homosexual and for her calling him “gay.” Ortega and
his cousin, Michael Angelo Morales, 21, plotted to murder her as “pay back” for
her remarks.In the weeks before the murder, Ortega set up a ruse to trick Winchell into
believing that he wanted to make amends and become her friend. In the
meantime, Morales “practiced” how he was going to strangle Winchell and on the
day of the murder told his girlfriend, Racquel Cardenas, how he was going to do
Ortega a favor and strangle and “hurt” someone.On January 8, 1981, Ortega called Morales and told him he was driving Winchell
to Morales’ apartment. Ortega lured Winchell into accompanying him and
Morales in Ortega’s car to a remote area near Lodi, California. There, Morales
attacked Winchell from behind and tried to strangle her with his belt. Winchell
struggled and the belt broke in two. Morales then took out a hammer and
repeatedly hit her in the head with it. She screamed for Ortega to help and tried
to fight off the attack, ripping her own hair out of her scalp in the struggle.
Morales beat Winchell into unconsciousness, crushing her skull in several places
and leaving 23 identifiable wounds in her skull.Morales took Winchell from the car and told Ortega to leave and return later.
Ortega left. Morales dragged Winchell face-down across the road and into a
vineyard. Morales completed an act of sexual intercourse with her unconscious
body. He started to leave, but went back and stabbed her four times in the chest
to assure her death. Winchell died from both the head and chest wounds. Her
body was left in the vineyard naked from the waist down with her sweater and
bra pulled up over her breasts.Within two days, Morales was arrested at his residence. The police found
Morales’ broken belt with Winchell’s blood on it hidden under a bedroom
mattress. The police found three knives and the hammer hidden in the
refrigerator vegetable crisper. The hammer had traces of Winchell’s blood on it.
The police also found blood-stained floor mats from Ortega’s car in the trash.
Winchell’s purse and credit card were also in the house. Ortega’s blood-
spattered car was impounded. Morales had used $11 from Winchell’s purse to
buy beer, wine, and cigarettes on the night of the murder.Clemency?
You have got to be kidding.
Morales deserves the same treatment as Stanley Tookie Williams and Clarence Ray Allen.
Patterico does not agree – well sort of………
Technorati Tags: MichaelAngeloMorales, ArnoldSchwarzenegger, California, StanleyTookieWilliams, ClarenceRayAllen, KennethStarr
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Samuel Alito Watch: Dianne Feinstein Reneges and WILL Vote for Filibuster
U.S. Senator John Kerry (D-MA) (L) responds to reporter’s questions as he leaves Capitol Hill in Washington January 27, 2006. Kerry publicly pushed for a filibuster to stop the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito but Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said on Friday that he and fellow Democrats lack the votes.
Senator Dianne Feinstein who previously stated she would vote against a filibuster of Judge Samuel Alito has changed her mind:
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today announced that she will vote no on cloture regarding the nomination of Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr. to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
“Based on a very long and thoughtful analysis of the record and transcript, which I tried to indicate in my floor statement yesterday, I’ve decided that I will vote no on cloture.â€
The California Yankee has an updated roster of Senators here.
There are only 57 votes Aye.
Will Kerry and Kennedy pursuade other Senators over the weekend to vote No on cloture?
Will the Gang of 14 have to exert discipline? Or will Bill Frist tire of the stalling and call for a change of the rules (Nuclear Option) Monday morning?
Flap continues to handicap a filibuster…………
Stay tuned……..
Previous:
Samuel Alito Watch: FILIBUSTER?
Samuel Alito Watch: Byrd and Johnson Break Ranks to Support ConfirmationSamuel Alito Watch: Senate Judiciary Committee Sends Nomination to Full Senate
Samuel Alito Watch: Senate Judiciary Committee Poised to Approve Judge Alito
Samuel Alito Watch: Filibuster Likely?Samuel Alito Watch: Leahy Will Vote NO on confirmation
Samuel Alito Watch: Democrat Senator WILL Vote for Confirmation
Michael Ramirez on Samuel Alito Confirmation HearingsSamuel Alito Watch: Democrats Force One Week Delay in Senate Judiciary Committee Vote
Samuel Alito Watch: Senator Dianne Feinstein Warns Against Filibuster
Technorati Tags: SamuelAlito, RobertByrd, SupremeCourt, TimJohnson, JohnKerry, TedKennedy
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Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Promises access to Lavizan Nuclear Site
ranian Shiite women hold portraits of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad(L) and supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni during weekly Friday prayers at Tehran University. Iran has promised to allow UN nuclear inspectors to visit the former Lavizan military site in Tehran, diplomats told AFP.
AFP: Iran promises access to Lavizan nuclear site in Iran
Iran has promised to allow UN nuclear inspectors to visit the former Lavizan military site in Tehran in what would be a key concession in the UN investigation of the Islamic Republic’s contested nuclear program, diplomats told AFP.
The promise was made in a faxed letter received earlier this week in Vienna by the International Atomic Energy Agency’s deputy director for safeguards, Ollie Heinonen, who left Tuesday for Iran.
IAEA officials refused to comment on whether Heinonen, who is expected to return from Iran this weekend, has actually visited Lavizan, where the United States charges that the Islamic Republic did work related to atomic weapons.
Iran tried to acquire equipment that could have been used in uranium enrichment at the Lavizan site, the IAEA said in a report in November 2004.
Iran has removed buildings and topsoil from Lavizan but IAEA inspectors, who have already visited there, still want to take environmental samples in order to look for traces of uranium particles and want to investigate dual-use machines that were employed at Lavizan, and which could be either for civilian or weapons purposes.
Heinonen’s trip gives Tehran a last chance to comply with international inspections, ahead of an emergency IAEA meeting on the Iranian nuclear program in Vienna next Thursday.
And who doesn’t beleive that Iran has NOT cleansed this site?
“The Iranians chose their timing well,” one diplomat said, referring to Iran making concessions whenever it is faced with an international crackdown.
Non-proliferation analyst Gary Samore warned from the MacArthur Foundation in Chicago that Iran “uses cooperation as a tool.
Rather than fully cooperate they try to dole out small portions of cooperation and to hold out in other areas where they may be hiding things.”
The IAEA wants other assurances but this diplomacy is useless because the United States and Israel will NOT be stonewalled.
Will Iran blink or will the United States cleanse the Iranian nuclear sites with the B-2?
Stay tuned……
Previous:
Iran Nuclear Watch: Warming to Russian Compromise ProposalIran Watch: Iran Blames U.S. and Britain for Bombings
Iran Nuclear Watch: The Russian Nuclear Option STALL
Iran Nuclear Watch: John Bolton – “President Bush Won’t Tolerate Nuclear Iranâ€Iran Nuclear Watch: Condoleezza Rice – Refer Iran to United Nations Security Council
Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Warns West Over UN Nuclear Referral
Iran Nuclear Watch: Winds of War – Talk of Military Action
Iran Watch: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – Challenges Europe to Take Back Jews in IsraelIran Watch: Winds of War – Iran President Meets Anti-Israel militants in Syria
Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Moving Currency As Pre-Emptive Move
Jacques Chirac Watch: Threats May Spur Iran’s Nuclear AmbitionsJacques Chirac Watch: France Will Respond to Terrorism with Nukes
Iran Nuclear Watch: Mohamed ElBaradei Rejects EU Call to Condemn Iran at February IAEA Meeting
Iran Nuclear Watch: IEAE to Hold Emergency Iran Meeting February 2nd
Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Scorns EU 3’s Draft Nuclear ResolutionIran Nuclear Watch: France Rejects Iran’s Request for More Talks on Nuclear Program
Iran Nuclear Watch: Russia and China Do NOT Support Sanctions Against IranThe Natanz uranium enrichment complex in Natanz is pictured in this January 2, 2006 satellite image
Technorati Tags: Iran, Russia, China, SergeiLavrov, UnitedNations, UnitedNationsSecurityCouncil, ZhouWenzhong, NicholasBurns, EuropeanUnion, MahmoudAhmadinejad, ManouchehrMottaki, JacquesChirac, Chirac, France, Iran, Nuclearweapons, nuclear, AbdulQadeerKhan, AliLarijani, CondoleezzaRice, JohnBolton
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Samuel Alito Watch: FILIBUSTER?
Judge Samuel Alito, left, meets with Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., on Capitol Hill Friday, Jan. 27, 2006, to discuss Alito’s nomination to the Supreme Court. The Senate vote on the nomination is expected next week.
AFP: Top Democrats move to block Bush high court nominee
Leading Democrat Senators John Kerry and Ted Kennedy said they would try to block Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito by preventing a vote on him with a filibuster.
Former presidential candidate Kerry announced from Switzerland that he wanted to block President George W. Bush’s conservative nominee with the stalling tactic to prevent “an ideological coup” on the high court.
“Judge Alito will take America backward, especially when it comes to civil rights and discrimination laws,” Kerry said is a statement.
Kennedy, Kerry’s fellow Massachusetts senator, also called for a filibuster on Alito when the Senate is called to vote, probably early next week.
“We owe it to future generations of Americans to oppose this nomination. If Judge Alito is confirmed … the progress of half a century on the basic rights of all Americans is likely to be rolled back.”
In a statement, Democratic leaders said that Kerry was lobbying fellow senators in hopes of being able to round up the 41 votes needed to successfully prevent the Senate from holding a final up-or-down confirmation vote on Alito.
But…….
Flap counts more than 60 Senators who will vote for cloture…….
ASSociated Press: Republicans Clear the Way for Alito Vote
Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito enjoys sufficient bipartisan support to surmount any Senate filibuster attempt by minority Democrats, members of both parties indicated Friday.
Democrats and Republicans both said that the 55-year-old conservative jurist will get more than the 60 votes needed to cut off debate on the Senate floor Monday. “Next Tuesday, a bipartisan majority will vote to confirm Judge Alito as Justice Alito,” said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.
Alito’s supporters already have those commitments, with 52 of the Republicans’ 55-member majority and three Democrats — Robert Byrd of West Virginia, Tim Johnson of South Dakota and Ben Nelson of Nebraska — already publicly supporting his confirmation as the replacement for retiring Justice
Sandra Day O’Connor.In addition, Democratic Sens. Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, Ken Salazar of Colorado and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota — as well as GOP Sen. Olympia Snowe (news, bio, voting record) of Maine — made it clear after a second day of floor debate on Alito that they would not support a filibuster, even though Akaka and Salazar oppose Alito and the others are undecided.
Looks like the LEFTIES wimped out…….
Stay tuned……..
Previous:
Samuel Alito Watch: Byrd and Johnson Break Ranks to Support ConfirmationSamuel Alito Watch: Senate Judiciary Committee Sends Nomination to Full Senate
Samuel Alito Watch: Senate Judiciary Committee Poised to Approve Judge Alito
Samuel Alito Watch: Filibuster Likely?Samuel Alito Watch: Leahy Will Vote NO on confirmation
Samuel Alito Watch: Democrat Senator WILL Vote for Confirmation
Michael Ramirez on Samuel Alito Confirmation HearingsSamuel Alito Watch: Democrats Force One Week Delay in Senate Judiciary Committee Vote
Samuel Alito Watch: Senator Dianne Feinstein Warns Against Filibuster
Technorati Tags: SamuelAlito, RobertByrd, SupremeCourt, TimJohnson, JohnKerry, TedKennedy
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Day by Day by Chris Muir