Reasons for Stevens fast trial?

[JSt0rm]

I am now thinking that Stevens knew he was done for and rushed his trail so he could get a pardon from Bush before he left office. That seemed like the fastest trial I have ever seen or heard of with such a high profile player.

Did I just put my tinfoil on wrong or do you guys think this is feasible?

 

[ayabe]

Well for some unknown reason he was sure he was going to be acquitted and now he's calling for the Justice Department to investigate the prosecutors.

His corruption is so entrenched he has no grasp of reality and will not admit that what he did was wrong.

 

[heyheybooboo]

He's old (and has an ego approximately the same physical size as the state he represents).

 

[PokerGuy]

The guy is scum and I hope they throw the book at him as an example. The timing of the case is not exactly a positive for the republicans, but that's how it goes....

 

[GTKeeper]

Stevens wanted a quick trial, it was in his best interest. The reason he wanted a fast trial with a verdict was so that he could run for his Senate seat. People were uneasy beforehand for voting for someone who was in the middle of a trial.

I don't think it has to do as much with the pardon as his re-election.

 

[Farang]

Can't the president issue a pardon before he is actually convicted?

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: Farang
Can't the president issue a pardon before he is actually convicted?

He was actually convicted. I seem to recall, though, that if you accept a pardon you can no longer try and get your convicton overturned.

 

[Lemon law]

Originally posted by: Farang
Can't the president issue a pardon before he is actually convicted?

According to wiki, the answer is yes. And as a precedent, Gerald Ford gave Nixon a blanket Pardon after Nixon resigned.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pardon

But its interesting that the US Pardon wording delimits the pardon in a case of an impeachment.

So I wonder, if the democratic Senate wanted to be vindictive, it might try to impeach
Stevens, and that might freeze such a GWB pardon.

 

[Fern]

I think he requested a fast trial, as is his right under the Constitution, so as not to have it hanging over his head during the election.

I think he believed he was going to acquited.

Trying to *hurry up* and convicted of something so you might get a Presidential pardon strikes me as unlikely, particularly when you don't need a conviction to get a pardon.

Fern