Government Lawyer Coached Terrorist Trial Testimony to Benefit Airlines
Mar 17
This is outrageous:
Lawyers for two airlines being sued by 9/11 victims prompted a federal attorney to coach witnesses in the Zacarias Moussaoui death penalty trial so the government’s case against the al-Qaida conspirator would not undercut their defense, victims’ lawyers allege.
A United Airlines lawyer received a transcript of the first day of the Moussaoui trial from an American Airlines lawyer and forwarded it to Carla J. Martin, a Transportation Security Administration lawyer, the victims’ lawyers, Robert Clifford and Gregory Joseph, claim.
Martin forwarded that day’s transcript to seven federal aviation officials scheduled to testify later in the sentencing trial of the 37-year-old Frenchman, in violation of an order by Moussaoui trial judge Leonie Brinkema.
Martin’s e-mailing of the transcript and her efforts to shape their testimony prompted Brinkema to toss out half the government’s case against Moussaoui as contaminated beyond repair.
They literally put the airlines ahead of the case.
Talk left has much more on the details and the implications.
#1 by Fred at March 18th, 2006
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George Bush was probably present when the witnesses were coached. In fact, they were probably tortured so they would say the right things to help the awful big business airlines.
#2 by rMatey at March 20th, 2006
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It seems like the Bushistas and big business can’t play by the rules - even in the courtroom.