Quote of the day from the New York Times, Judge apologizes to Wen Ho Lee:
>>Judge Parker, a Reagan appointee known for his measured manner and
unusual patience, said he felt so deeply troubled by the government's
consistent pattern of abusive actions that he expressed to Dr. Lee, a man
who minutes before had admitted to a felony, his dismay that the
government had unleashed the full force of its powers so arrogantly.
"I have no authority to speak on behalf of the executive branch, the
president, the vice president, the attorney general, or the secretary of the
department of energy," the judge said, but "as a member of the third
branch of the United States government, the judiciary, the United States
courts, I sincerely apologize to you, Dr. Lee, for the unfair manner you
were held in custody by the executive branch."
At another point, the judge added that he felt he had improperly denied
bail to Dr. Lee. "I tell you with great sadness that I feel I was led astray
last December by the executive branch of our government through its
Department of Justice, by its Federal Bureau of Investigation and by its
United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, who held office
at that time."
nytimes.com |
