Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts

[Jamisjockey]

A mug shot might improve his popularity with black voters 

Um.  Wow.

[RevDisk]

This is the new tactic of the left- use the full power of a friendly DA's office in conjunction with the press in order to endlessly harass and smear prominent republicans.
In Wi, Scott Walker was investigated for 2 years under a 'john doe' investgation initiated by the milwaukee DA's office. Several republicans in key positions had their offices and homes ransacked with files and computers confiscated.  No charges were ever brought and the cases were eventually ordered shut down by higher courts. The goal was never to find a crime but to use the power of the legal system to make life a living hell for a lot of people.

This amounts to nothing more than political persecution, even more brazen than the IRS scandal.

Funny thing, this happened to my family. Except the Attorney General was Tom Corbett, who is a Republican.

A mug shot might improve his popularity with black voters  

Uh...

[HankB]

Today's local paper, the Austin American-Statesman, has an article in which some members of the Grand Jury that indicted Perry insisted that politics wasn't involved in the indictment.

On the other hand, Drudge reports that one of the jurors was a Democratic Partly DELEGATE - who of course didn't let politics into the debate.   

Sure.

http://mediatrackers.org/national/2014/08/20/perry-grand-juror-active-democratic-party-delegate-jury-proceedings

[Brad Johnson]

Grand juries are usually paneled for a multi-month stint, meeting regularly to hear new cases.  Can grand jury members be selectively excused in csses like this, or are they required to participate no matter what?

Brad

[Perd Hapley]

He's got bigger electability issues, such as his 2012 debate vapor lock.

I think the indictment is bigger news. Between this and the National Guard/border issue, the 2012 debate won't define him like it did a year ago.

[zxcvbob]

It's a good-looking mug shot.  I'm not sure I've ever seen a good mug shot before.

Of course he can pardon himself iff he is still in office after he is convicted.  (that's why a criminal indictment instead impeachment is kind of weird)  His political career would still be over after a conviction.

[RoadKingLarry]

Always remember, the facts of the matter are irrelevant, it's the seriousness of the allegations that are what is important.

[Fly320s]

How hard is it to get a Grand Jury Indictment?  I thought it was pretty easy.

[Brad Johnson]

How hard is it to get a Grand Jury Indictment?  I thought it was pretty easy.

Indictments are sometimes disturbingly easy to secure.  The GJ is deciding if there is sufficient evidence to recommend assessment by trial.  Nothing has to be "proven" and presentation is everything.  Flimsy evidence can be made to look concrete, or a DA with impressive oratory skills can sway the jury's decision with force of will alone.  A simple straight majority vote is all it takes.

Maybe Chris will weigh in and shed more light on it.

Brad

[KD5NRH]

Indictments are sometimes disturbingly easy to secure.  The GJ is deciding if there is sufficient evidence to recommend assessment by trial.  Nothing has to be "proven" and presentation is everything.  Flimsy evidence can be made to look concrete, or a DA with impressive oratory skills can sway the jury's decision with force of will alone.  A simple straight majority vote is all it takes.

More importantly, there's no defense there to call them out on full-on BS.

[Perd Hapley]

 

https://twitter.com/BenjySarlin/status/501853362498052096/photo/1

[RevDisk]

How hard is it to get a Grand Jury Indictment?  I thought it was pretty easy.

Your question is backwards. It's virtually unheard of for a grand jury not to indict someone. The joke is any prosecutor with a room temperature IQ could get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich. It's funny, but it's also nearly true.

You have to be outlandishly and ridiculously popular, sympathetic or innocent to avoid indictment from any grand jury. Or have the prosecutor take a dive or be uncharacteristically incompetent, obviously.

[HankB]

Rick Perry made a comment that "This farce of a prosecution will be revealed for what it is, and those responsible will be held accountable."

A judge in Travis County didn't like that comment, and said she would "protect" Grand Jury members against "threats" like that . . . which might be "criminal"

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/judge-suggests-rick-perry-may-have-threatened-gran/ng64t/#cmComments

This judge - the only Republican in history elected to a state district judgeship in Travis County - switched to the Democratic Party some years back.

No politics here, of course.

[MechAg94]

Figures the judge would try to redirect that comment on the jurors when he dang well knew it wasn't.  They know there is nothing else to say as this is blatantly political.  I heard someone mention that a lot of lefties aren't touching it knowing there is very little substance.

[Waitone]

I seem to remember the same play being run a few years back on Tom Delay.  Was that Travis County also?

[MechAg94]

I seem to remember the same play being run a few years back on Tom Delay.  Was that Travis County also?

Same county.  Different Democrat prosecutor I think.  He was found guilty, but the verdict was thrown out on appeal.  I think the law he was accused of breaking wasn't in effect when he did what he did. 

Not a big fan of Tom Delay, but the prosecution was a farce also.  The only positive I can say about Delay is he is the only DC guy in a leadership position I heard go on record saying he would not let the AWB be extended.  Everyone else at the time was at least making weaselly words about extending it even though they wouldn't.  Aside from that, he presided over the House that spent too much money and tried that Big Tent BS that eventually allowed Dems to get the House back.

[KD5NRH]

Same county.  Different Democrat prosecutor I think.

IIRC, it was the one that groomed this one for the job.