This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/18/us/roger-stone-sentencing.html

The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Trump Attacks Stone Prosecutors and Judge, Ignoring Barr’s Admonishment Trump Attacks Stone Prosecutors and Judge, Ignoring Barr’s Admonishment
(32 minutes later)
WASHINGTON — President Trump renewed his attacks on law enforcement on Tuesday, denouncing the prosecutors, the judge and the jury forewoman in the case of his longtime friend Roger J. Stone Jr. just days after Attorney General William P. Barr warned that the president’s criticisms were making it “impossible” to do his job. WASHINGTON — President Trump renewed his attacks on law enforcement on Tuesday, denouncing the prosecutors, the judge and the jury forewoman in the case of his longtime friend Roger J. Stone Jr. only days after Attorney General William P. Barr warned that the president’s criticisms were making it “impossible” for him to do his job.
Undeterred, Mr. Trump kept up his running commentary on the department’s criminal cases on Twitter and in comments to reporters before departing for the West Coast. He reasserted that he has the right to intervene in criminal cases but has not done so, drawing a distinction between opining publicly on cases and outright ordering law enforcement officials to act. Undeterred, Mr. Trump kept up his running commentary on the department’s criminal cases on Twitter and in comments to reporters before leaving for the West Coast. He reasserted that he had the right to intervene in individual criminal cases but had not done so, appearing to draw a distinction between opining publicly and outright ordering law enforcement officials to take specific actions.
“I chose not to be involved,” he said just before boarding Air Force One. “I’m allowed to be totally involved.” “I chose not to be involved,” he said before boarding Air Force One. “I’m allowed to be totally involved.”
He told journalists that he understood that his remarks were making Mr. Barr’s job harder, but that social media had helped catapult him to the White House and given him a worldwide megaphone. “Everybody has the right to speak their mind,” he said. “Social media for me has been very important because it gives me a voice. Because I don’t get that voice in the press.” He told journalists that he understood that his remarks were making Mr. Barr’s job harder, but that social media had helped catapult him to the White House and had given him a worldwide megaphone. “Everybody has the right to speak their mind,” he said. “Social media for me has been very important because it gives me a voice. Because I don’t get that voice in the press.”
The president said he believed that Mr. Stone, a former campaign adviser, had “been treated very unfairly” as had his former national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn. Both have pending criminal cases in federal court. Mr. Stone was convicted in November of seven felonies for obstructing a congressional inquiry and is scheduled to be sentenced in two days. Mr. Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the F.B.I. but wants to withdraw his plea. The president said he believed that Mr. Stone, a former campaign adviser, had “been treated very unfairly,” as had his former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn. Both have pending criminal cases in federal court.
On Twitter, Mr. Trump cited a “Fox & Friends” legal analyst, Andrew Napolitano, who has insisted that the president “has every right” to intervene in a criminal case. He quoted Mr. Napolitano’s calls for Judge Amy Berman Jackson of Federal District Court in the District of Columbia to reconsider Mr. Stone’s case. After a trial in November, a jury speedily found Mr. Stone guilty of all charges. Mr. Stone was convicted in November of seven felonies for obstructing a congressional inquiry and is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday. Mr. Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the F.B.I. but wants to withdraw his plea.
“Judge Jackson now has a request for a new trial based on the unambiguous & self outed bias of the foreperson,” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter, quoting Mr. Napolitano. On Twitter, Mr. Trump cited a “Fox & Friends” legal analyst, Andrew Napolitano, who has insisted that the president “has every right” to intervene in a criminal case. He quoted Mr. Napolitano’s calls for Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to reconsider Mr. Stone’s case. After a trial in November, a jury speedily found Mr. Stone guilty of all charges.
Judge Judge ruled Tuesday morning that Mr. Stone’s sentencing will go on as planned on Thursday despite last-ditch motions by his defense lawyers. She said she would allow the defense to file an amended motion for a new trial, give the government a chance to respond and schedule a hearing if warranted. Defense lawyers are trying to argue that juror misconduct led to an unfair trial. “Judge Jackson now has a request for a new trial based on the unambiguous & self outed bias of the foreperson,” Mr. Trump tweeted, quoting Mr. Napolitano.
The handling of Mr. Stone’s case has generated tumult throughout the Justice Department and grabbed the attention of the broader legal establishment, including an association of federal judges. After Mr. Barr scrapped the prosecution team’s sentencing recommendation of up to nine years in favor of a much lighter one, four government lawyers withdrew from the case and one resigned from the department entirely. Judge Jackson ruled Tuesday morning that Mr. Stone’s sentencing will go on as planned on Thursday despite last-ditch motions by his defense lawyers. She said she would allow the defense to file an amended motion for a new trial, give the government a chance to respond with its own filing and schedule a hearing if warranted. Defense lawyers are trying to argue that juror misconduct led to an unfair trial. The Justice Department has opposed their motion.
As the president has repeatedly pointed out, two of the four prosecutors had worked for the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, whose investigation of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election dogged Mr. Trump for nearly two years. The president attacked Mr. Mueller’s team anew on Tuesday, saying if he were not president he would sue them. The handling of Mr. Stone’s case has generated tumult throughout the Justice Department and grabbed the attention of Washington’s broader legal establishment, including an association of federal judges. After Mr. Barr scrapped the prosecution team’s sentencing recommendation in favor of a much lighter one, four government lawyers withdrew from the case and one resigned from the department entirely.
As the president has repeatedly pointed out, two of the four prosecutors had worked for the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, whose investigation of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election dogged Mr. Trump for nearly two years. The president attacked Mr. Mueller’s team anew on Tuesday, saying if he were not president, he would sue it.
Mr. Stone, 67, was convicted of tampering with a witness, lying under oath and obstructing a congressional inquiry into whether the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 election. Mr. Mueller’s inquiry ultimately found insufficient evidence to charge anyone associated with the campaign of conspiring with the Russians.Mr. Stone, 67, was convicted of tampering with a witness, lying under oath and obstructing a congressional inquiry into whether the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 election. Mr. Mueller’s inquiry ultimately found insufficient evidence to charge anyone associated with the campaign of conspiring with the Russians.
In a court filing last week, the prosecutors who handled Mr. Stone’s jury trial recommended that he be sentenced to between seven and nine years in prison. But Mr. Barr, blaming the court filing on a miscommunication, said that punishment would be unduly harsh. In a court filing last week, the prosecutors who handled Mr. Stone’s jury trial recommended that he be sentenced to seven to nine years in prison. But Mr. Barr, blaming the court filing on a miscommunication, said that punishment would be unduly harsh.
His decision coincided with Mr. Trump’s criticism of the sentencing request as a “miscarriage of justice,” though Mr. Barr said he was not influenced by the president’s views. The prosecutors then abruptly pulled out of the case and more than 1,100 former prosecutors and department lawyers called on Mr. Barr to resign, saying he had failed to protect the department from political pressure.His decision coincided with Mr. Trump’s criticism of the sentencing request as a “miscarriage of justice,” though Mr. Barr said he was not influenced by the president’s views. The prosecutors then abruptly pulled out of the case and more than 1,100 former prosecutors and department lawyers called on Mr. Barr to resign, saying he had failed to protect the department from political pressure.
In a new sentencing memo, the government requested a more lenient prison term but left it to Judge Jackson to determine its length. In a new sentencing memo, the government requested a much more lenient prison term but left it to Judge Jackson to determine its length.
Mr. Barr defended his decision to ask for a lighter sentence on national television last week, saying he based it strictly on the merits of the case. But he also that Mr. Trump’s public comments were making his job impossible and undermining his credibility and that the president had to stop. Mr. Barr defended his decision to ask for a lighter sentence on national television last week, saying he based it strictly on the merits of the case. But he also said that Mr. Trump’s public comments were putting him in an untenable position, and undermining his credibility and that the president had to stop.
The next morning, Mr. Trump responded via Twitter, saying he had the right to discuss specific criminal cases with the attorney general but had restrained himself. “This doesn’t mean that I do not have, as President, the legal right to do so, I do, but I have so far chosen not to!” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter. The next morning, Mr. Trump responded by tweet, saying he had the right to discuss specific criminal cases with the attorney general but had restrained himself. “This doesn’t mean that I do not have, as President, the legal right to do so, I do, but I have so far chosen not to!” Mr. Trump tweeted.
After reiterated that stance on Tuesday, he suggested that he was obligated to weigh in, calling himself the nation’s chief law enforcement officer. “You take a look at what’s happening to these people,” he told reporters. “Someone has to stick up for the people.” Asked if he intended to pardon Mr. Stone, he said, “I haven’t given it any thought.” After reiterating that stance on Tuesday, he suggested that he was almost obligated to weigh in, calling himself the nation’s chief law enforcement officer. “You take a look at what’s happening to these people,” he told reporters. “Someone has to stick up for the people.” Asked if he intended to pardon Mr. Stone, he said, “I haven’t given it any thought.”
Mr. Trump’s attacks on Judge Jackson appeared to trigger broad concern within Washington’s legal establishment. The Federal Judges Association, a voluntary organization, scheduled an emergency telephone conference for this week. Mr. Trump’s attacks on Judge Jackson appeared to prompt broad concern within Washington’s legal establishment. The Federal Judges Association, a voluntary organization, scheduled an emergency telephone conference for this week.
Federal District Judge Cynthia Rufe told USA Today that the group wanted to discuss “plenty of issues that we are concerned about.” Judge Cynthia M. Rufe of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania told USA Today that the group wanted to discuss “plenty of issues that we are concerned about.”
Katie Benner contributed reporting.