October 4th, 2007
01:47 PM ET
15 years ago
Judge won't let Craig withdraw guilty plea
A judge denied Craig's request to withdraw his guilty plea Thursday.
(CNN) - A Minnesota judge has denied Sen. Larry Craig's request to withdraw his guilty plea to a disorderly conduct charge stemming from his arrest in an airport men's room sex sting.
In a 27-page order, Judge Charles Porter found Craig had entered the guilty plea "accurately, voluntarily and intelligently" and it was too late to withdraw his admission. (Read order [PDF])
Craig was arrested in June by Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport police, who accused him of making sexual overtures in an airport men's room to an undercover male police officer. Craig pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor count in August.
zzzzzzzZZZZZZZ...
I was really hoping that this would go to trail.
Damn don't you hate those STRICT Constructionists
The Senator knew what he wasd doing when he pleaded guilty. He was caught with his pant's down. What part of guilty doe he not get? An old addage states: Thos who live in glass houses should not throw stones. Just add one more Republican to the pervert barbie.
I don't want him to resign? For what? a misdemeanor
They all have skeletons in their cupboards GOP just want to run this guy out of town. I am not for anyone losing their jobs over sex.
Another HIPOCRIT......
Craig is a seasoned politician, college graduate and now he pretends he is ignorant with the law. Craig is downplaying the justice system and he thinks he can be over and above the law. Craig better keeps his promise and RESIGN asap! Dont drag America with this mess – shamefull SOB.
Judge Porter – your doing the right thing.
Funny, only the Republicans want "mulligans." That, and have you forget the original snafu, too!!!
What'll be next, Bush will proclaim, "My bad on Iraq," and then go, yet again, after the wrong country?!?!?!
This keeps the seat more competitive than it would have been if Craig had resigned, but the seat stays low on the pick-up opportunities list. Check out the details at these Senate rankings.
Unfortunately Craig (and many other Republicans AND Democrats) are complete hypocrites. In the past three years alone (and this goes way back) we have seen many of these lawmakers break the law on a constant basis. I love to see when a Republican is caught and the bloggers cry a party name and the same with the Democrats. I wonder when 'we as a people' will wake up and realize that in our country (and the corruption is even deeper in most other countries) we are led by LOSERS. Most of them, no all – but a great majority of these chuckle heads are nothing more than pure embarrassment. When are REAL politicians going to finally surface... when the country is not divided as planned into two need 50%/50% groups... when we can all wake up and stand together against ALL of these crooks, well... maybe then things will change. Until then, keep bloggin your time away.
I am still in awe that Sen. Craig is still around! He should be in jail to be honest, why isn't he is a subject to a field study in human psychology among political leaders of this country.
He pleaded guilty, and he knows he is guilty, why is he wasting tax dollars to try to save himself? Truly this man, among are other leaders, is doing a disservice to the very people and state he represents. He needs to go.
What a shinning example of respectability Idaho has sent to our capitol, no wonder there is stiff backed irascibility (it could be any of us and is many of us), and unwillingness to bend to reality, false posturing and false pride in that place of duplicity. FOR GOD'S SAKE, YOU FOLKS IN DC, GET OVER YOURSELVES – you put your pants on one leg at a time just like every other biped, find your humanity soon please; I for one am running our of patients.
I have two comments on this story. The first is that I am in awe that it would take 27 pages of leaglease to say "your request to overturn your guilty p[lea is denied". Wonder why the justice system is in the wicked shape it's in today – heck, almost akin to our lethargic Congress.
Posted By Jim W, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma : October 4, 2007 2:23 pm
Jim, the first page told you the outcome of two different motions. That's all that you needed if you just wanted to know that.
All of the other information is given so that the opinion can be used as legal precedent. In order to do so, the judge needs to lay out a statement of facts and then show what legal analysis he used to make his decision. I don't know how you think that law is applied, but if it weren't for precedent and these types of opinions, there would be no consistency to its application. In order to be used down the road for other similar cases where defendants want to withdraw their pleas, one must know the relevant facts to show similarity, as well as which prior cases were used to in the event that any were overturned.
Ah...
*evil grin*
Now, on to the next Republican sex scandal du jour!
*rubs hands together eagerly*
He needs to admit that he's gay...
I understand what he was trying to do when he pled guilty (keep this away from the public eye). But that doesn't make it right, because now few people will believe he is innocent.
He needs to go away, now. Since Cheney has been quiet lately, why don't they go "hunting" together..
That's the ticket.
We can't have but so much sympathy for Sen. Larry Craig. Obviously, this guy just doesn't think too clearly.
Just think: if he gets his face out of the media and quietly disappears, he can cruise restrooms in relative anonymity.
One of the few lawyers who can help him now on appeal is Professor Alan Dershowitz at Harvard Law. But reversing the well-reasoned 27-page opinion of the trial court denying a new trial might be beyond even his considerable skill in twisting facts that are already pretty clear, both as to the offense and the voluntary plea.
C'mon, moderator. How do my comments on two stories about sending him condolences to his public address in DC, or suggesting that only Dershowitz can help him now violate the terms of service?
Oops, sorry, moderator. I jumped the gun and didn't wait long enough for approval of comments.
Funny, only the Republicans want "mulligans." That, and have you forget the original snafu, too!!!
Posted By Brendan H., San Antonio, TX : October 4, 2007 4:18 pm
Bush sucks, OK Brendan?
Talk about a mulligan, Kennedy got one for killing a young women many years ago and the sheep still voted him in again............
A typical profile if a republican Senetor in Washingto D.C.
Hypocrite, unfaithful, corrupt, dishonest, untouchable, unskillful, unchristian. Such an ideal Republican Senetor is Sen. Larry Craig.
He is staying. Is that the final decision of the remaining Republican Senetors in Washington D.C.? This Sen L. Craig, a senetor with such a low esteem, cannot differentiate the right from the wrong ?
If he is a Christian, where is his religious education ?
If he is an American ? Where is his American Esteem ?
If he considers himself a legislator, where are his moral values ?
We do not care about L. Craig's sexual preferences or orientation, but this Sen. Craig has no respect to his wife, to his family and especially to the people of Idaho and to this Great Nation.
As a Republican, I deplore every single Repuplican Senetor who accepts the decision of the Sen. L. Craig to stay.
After the decision of the Minnesota Judge's denial, the final judgement belongs to the Great people of Idaho.