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THE PORTEOUS IMPEACHMENT CASE STARTS MONDAY

The Senate trial for United States District Court Judge Thomas Porteous begins Monday morning. I will be therefore out of pocket for the coming week and part of next week. Unfortunately, that means that postings will be extremely limited but I expect the denizens of this blog to post stories as comments in my absence. I will try to post a little each day on the schedule for the trial and maybe even a story to facilitate discussion depending if I have a second in the morning.

I am honored to be working with the finest litigation team that I have seen in my career. The law firm of Bryan Cave has joined me in this case pro bono and has (as usual) set a new standard for such cases. Bryan Cave won the ABA award for pro bono work this year. I am proud of my long association with Bryan Cave on cases over the many years. In leading this case, I am joined by my longtime friend and brilliant co-counsel, Dan Schwartz, former general counsel of the National Security Agency. Dan and I have been in many legal fights through the years and I could not imagine walking into the Senate on Monday without his calm and experienced guidance.

Partners John Peirce, Keith Aurzada, and Brian Walsh are also assisting in the case and have brought a wealth of experience to the effort. Keith and Brian are two of the country’s leading bankruptcy lawyers will be addressing those specialized issues at trial. Associates P.J. Meitl and Dan O’Connor have worked every aspect of this case — going around the clock as new evidence comes in on the very eve of trial. They have interviewed countless witnesses, researched countless cases, and helped write countless filings. They have helped build every inch of this case over the last few months and will argue the case with us this week. The Senate is about to see in action two of the best young lawyers in this country — as credit to both the team and Bryan Cave. Ian Barlow (Bryan Cave), Sergey Basyuk (GW), James (Brad) Currier (GW), Chris Crawford (GW), Amber Kahn (GW), Nikki Ott (BC) and Peter Shapiro (GW) are also assisting in the case and have done amazing work to prepare this case for trial. Finally, there is my tireless assistant Ashley Klearman who is keeping the office functioning as we litigate this case.

I have never seen their like in litigation and, while, we have had little sleep or family time in weeks, this historic case for me will always be remembered for their unyielding friendship and dedication.

The trial will be covered from gavel to gavel on CSpan television.

For those in Washington, the trial will be held in Hart Senate Office Building Room 216. It is a public trial with public seating. Opening arguments will start on Monday morning at 8 am. Proceedings will continue Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and may run to 7 or 8 p.m. The trial will likely resume the following Tuesday at 8 am and be completed in the afternoon.

Jonathan Turley

48 thoughts on “THE PORTEOUS IMPEACHMENT CASE STARTS MONDAY”

  2. Porteous Hearing for Impeachment Trial is on C-SPAN 2 (TV) Monday from 8:00 A.M. to 2:30 P.M. Eastern Time. There is also Live Streaming of C-SPAN 2 at c-span.org – Check c-span.org for any additional info.

  3. Because I believe Chief Judge Edith Jones is the driving force behind Mr. Porteous, this is mainly directed at her:

    Edith, when the article (see the link below) was written years ago about you telling the Federalist Society about legal corruption, you could have better served Louisiana –as well as the sullied judicial system which you and your kind mistakenly think, or think that public is naive enough to think if Porteous leaves, the air will be cleaner –as if only Porteous needs to go. You should have named those persons and their deeds SINCE YOU WORK AMONG THEM –and you had enough first-hand experience enough to talk about them years ago. It seems that you deceitfully spoke against corruption while all this time you have shielded it. How can you be proud of yourself? What reason do you and your kind think you should be called, ‘your honor’??!! Did you EVER have a conscience when that article was written with YOUR words!!?? Did you use your speech and platform so you could get recognition, nomination, and then a seat on the Supreme Court? I am SO glad it didn’t happen.

    Because you are part of the problem and not the solution to Louisiana’s atrocious judicial system, you deserve to inhale the stench you helped and watched foment. Mouth says anything, especially when it garners praise (and does not rock the boat). You, and those who act like they want an ethical court system need to DO something rather SAY anything which makes it appear you are ‘not like them’. Louisiana has been hurting far too long. There just aren’t enough JUDICIAL JUNKETS, hunting trips, carnival balls, college scholarship, law clerk positions, and other gratifying things to be obtained judges in the ‘in-crowd’ which can allow people to escape their consciences. There was a time when I cited that article. But, now you are an example of a person who sees the bridge is out, but you stand and direct traffic right to the place where people fall to their peril. Here’s your wonderful article:

    “FEDERAL JUDGE SAYS LEGAL SYSTEM CORRUPT BEYOND RECOGNITION”.
    American Legal System Is Corrupt Beyond Recognition Judge Tells Harvard Law School By Geraldine Hawkins March 7, 2003
    “. . .The American legal system has been corrupted almost beyond recognition, Judge Edith Jones of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, told the Federalist Society of Harvard Law School on February 28. . .” http://www.msfraud.org/law/lawarticles/judgesays.html

  5. The jury, passing on the prisoner’s life,
    May in the sworn twelve have a thief or two
    Guiltier than him they try.

    ~William Shakespeare (Measure for Measure)

  6. Good Luck Prof. Turley! It will be interesting to see how the Senate committee deals with such a high powered defense team.

  8. JT wrote:

    “I will try to post a little each day on the schedule for the trial and maybe even a story to facilitate discussion depending if I have a second in the morning.”

    I would prefer time spent concentrating on those case-specific postings over the next week–if you have time–rather than with the usual posting of other stories.

    Buddha et al. can handle the unrelated legal stories, so please consider giving yourself a break from that routine.

    This seems like a rare opportunity to see a senate trial in action and somewhat from the inside depending on what you can ethically allow to disclose during the proceedings.

  10. As a taxpayer, I hope that you really show all taxpayers what they are getting for their money, since the senate doesn’t seem to place the needs of the public very high on their list or often demonstrate real value!

  12. FFLEO,

    C-Span does live streaming. Go to their main site and click on Live TV/Radio icon (upper right of page) … C-Span 2 is the Senate but the the trial could be on one of the other C-Span channels … so far I haven’t found the schedule.

  14. Will this live coverage be webcasted? If so, could someone post a link tonight or early tomorrow.

    Thanks. (No TV)

  16. I echo the sentiments of good luck to you and Mr. Schwartz, Prof.

    And since you’re dealing with Senators, you might want to remember the sage advice of W.C. Fields.

    “If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull.”

    Sometimes one must fight fire with fire. šŸ˜€

  17. Alas, no Andy Carpenter …

    Seriously, I will keep the TV tuned to C-Span … break a leg, gentlemen

  18. “Until 1933, the full Senate conducted all impeachment trials.

    But after the impeachment trial of federal Judge Harold Louderback occurred, often with very few senators in the chamber, the Senate changed the rules to allow the trial to be held by a special committee.”

    Now its by a committee of 12…

    “The four articles approved by the House on Thursday accuse Porteous of taking money, expensive meals and other gifts from lawyers and a bail bond company with business before him and of making false statements in a personal bankruptcy filing.”

    The above are the Articles of impeachment and the story that it appeared in came from below:

    http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2010/03/judge_thomas_porteous_impeachm_2.html

    Good Luck professor…..

  19. Good luck Professor:

    I think this will apply.
    “Luck is when oppurtunity,meets preparedness”

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