Dismissal will erase Stevens verdict but not facts

[Hepburn]

WASHINGTON (AP) — If, as expected Tuesday, a federal judge agrees to dismiss corruption charges against former Sen. Ted Stevens, it will wipe away the Alaska Republican's conviction and complete an embarrassing unraveling of the Justice Department's case.

But the dismissal will not declare Stevens innocent. Nor will it rewrite the facts of a case in which Stevens took thousands of dollars in favors and freebies from wealthy friends.

<snip>

Attorney General Eric Holder decided to dismiss the case after discovering that a key witness had made inconsistent statements and that the value of Stevens' renovations might have been far less than prosecutors contended in court. It was the final straw for a prosecution team that repeatedly mishandled witnesses and evidence.

<snip>

"He still had gifts he received," juror Colleen Walsh said Monday.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gZXmpL3-GlWbhbGKemFmCm_bPPmQD97D6BB83

Too bad the govt did not play by the rules....the SOB is guilty as all hell and now he is walking around shouting about how he has been vindicated!

:puke:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. And, lest we forget,

just like Ken Lay, who croaked before he was sentenced (uh-huh, sure he did), without the sentence ever having been pronounced, Stevens can legitimately say that he was never a convicted felon.

Doesn't that suck?

[msongs]

2. he can be retried, having NOT been found innocent nt

[Hepburn]

3. I hope to hell they charge him again....

....but I doubt if they will.

[The Wielding Truth]

4. Cool, that should happen. It's not double jeopardy. Is it?

[L. Coyote]

5. The Stevens motion before the court is for a retrial.

That was the context of this news.