Libby Sentenced to 30 Months
Scooter Libby will serve 2 1/2 years in prison for lying and obstructing justice in the Valerie Plame investigation. Not as long as Patrick Fitzgerald wanted, but longer than probation officers recommended.
Tom Maguire gets into the gory details as always.
Ed Morrissey understands the verdict and mentions the p-word:
Regardless of the ludicrous nature of a three-year investigation where the perpetrator never got charged with the initial suspected crime, Libby got what he deserved, having lied to investigators and the grand jury. People cannot commit perjury to block an investigation and expect to simply walk away from it. A jury concluded that Libby did exactly that, and the sentence is commensurate with the crime.
Will the conviction survive on appeal? Likely it will. Again, the special-counsel investigation got out of control, like just about every special-counsel investigation that preceded it. That doesn’t give Libby the right to commit perjury and obstruct justice. It’s more likely that Bush will eventually pardon Libby, but probably not until after the 2008 election.
If President Bush wants to pardon Libby he might as well do it now. His approval ratings can’t get any lower, and he might win back a few conservatives who think Libby got a raw deal.
“Libby Sentenced to 2 1/2 Years in Prison”
Justice is finally served now if it will only be enforced!