Legal Commentary

Some Advice for Gov. Blagojevich

By Jeralyn

Former Time Magazine Washington Bureau Chief Matt Cooper remembers his adventures with Patrick Fitzgerald in the Scooter Libby-Valerie Plame-Judith Miller case and has some advice for Gov. Blagojevich.

Shorter version: Suck it up, take a deal for under 7 years and go to a camp. Even though federal prison camps are no longer Club Feds, they beat the socks off being behind the walls at a real federal prison, which is what could happen if you go to trial and lose.

Cooper also has some (but not overdone) praise for Fitzgerald and a fairly good take on how it works. His funniest line:

And even if it was inclined to show any mercy, do you think Rahm would sit idly by? He took your seat in the House and you know him well. I don't have to tell you that you're better off dealing with the Crips and Bloods than with a pissed off Rahm.

My only nitpick: Matt takes a slam at drug dealers: [More...]

Even minimum-security facilities like the one I wanted to go to in Cumberland, Maryland, aren't fun. They're crowded, filled with check kiters and drug dealers and other folks you don't want to share a bunk with.

I'd rather have a druggie or a fraudster as my bunkmate than an inmate who worked his way down to a federal prison camp from an FCI (prison) because there's only 6 months left on his armed bank robbery or carjacking conviction. But, maybe that's just me. Other than that, Matt, as always, is a good and funny read.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on December 09, 2008 (boomark / email).