First the BOZO..., next the (W)itch..., then we'll move on to the Meandering Moonie Monetarist........:
High Court Disbars Clinton
Former President Can Contest Ruling
The Associated Press
W A S H I N G T O N, Oct. 1 — The Supreme Court ordered former President Clinton disbarred from practicing law before the high court today and gave him 40 days to contest the order.
The Supreme Court today suspended Clinton from practicing law before the high court and gave him 40 days to say why he should not be permanently disbarred.
The order likely means Clinton could not argue a case before the high court should he ever return to private law practice. Most lawyers who are admitted to the Supreme Court bar never actually argue a case there, but the right to do so is considered an honor.
Justices Give No Reasons for Action
The court did not explain its reasons, but Supreme Court disbarment often follows disbarment in lower courts. The court acted after it was notified by the Arkansas Supreme Court that Clinton's Arkansas law license was suspended for five years and he paid a $25,000 fine. The Arkansas suspension took effect in April.
Clinton agreed to the Arkansas fine and suspension Jan. 19, the day before he left office, as part of an understanding with Independent Counsel Robert Ray to end the Monica Lewinsky investigation.
The agreement also satisfied the legal effort by the Arkansas Supreme Court Committee on Professional Conduct to disbar Clinton for giving misleading testimony in the Paula Jones sexual harassment case.
The Supreme Court followed its standard rules in the Clinton case, which include suspending Clinton from practice in the court and giving him 40 days to show why he should not be permanently disbarred.
The court order did not mention any vote by the justices.
"Whenever a member of the bar of this court has been disbarred or suspended from practice of any court of record, or has engaged in conduct unbecoming a member of the bar of this court, the court will enter an order suspending that member from practice before this court," Supreme Court rules say.
No Immediate Comment From Clinton
Julia Payne, a spokeswoman for Clinton, referred calls to his lawyer, David Kendall, in Washington. Kendall did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Clinton and the Whitewater prosecutor, Ray, worked out their deal late last year.
Ray promised not to prosecute the president when he left office if Clinton, in return, would agree to the suspension of his Arkansas law license for a substantial period, lawyers familiar with the meeting said then.
The White House meeting between Clinton and Ray touched off three weeks of negotiations that stretched to Arkansas and eventually led to the deal that spared Clinton the prospect of indictment.
While the duration of the suspension was longer than Clinton wanted, the committee had precedent on its side.
A tangential Whitewater figure and former state representative both recently lost their law licenses for five years. The ex-legislator, Jimmie Wilson, was one of the 140 people Clinton pardoned in his last few hours in office.
Another element putting Clinton at a disadvantage in the Arkansas negotiations was the fact that any staunch presidential supporters on the bar committee had quit the proceedings.
Eight committee members pulled out because of campaign donations or personal ties to Clinton, leaving just six members who ultimately concluded that it was unacceptable for the president to deny under oath that he had sexual relations with Lewinsky and that he couldn't recall being alone with her. |
