Craig attempts to change Guilty plea

DaemonSeid · #1 09-26-2007, 09:54 AM

SUMMARY: Sen. Larry Craig wants to shed his guilty plea because he doesn't like the political consequences, a prosecutor says in advance of Wednesday's hearing.

Sen. Larry Craig is only trying to get out of his guilty plea in an airport sex sting because he doesn't like the political consequences, a Minneapolis prosecutor wrote in court papers filed Monday.
Craig, R-Idaho, has asked to withdraw his guilty plea, saying he was panicked into admitting to a crime he did not commit. A judge is set to hear the matter Wednesday.
Craig pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct last month after an undercover officer at the Minneapolis airport alleged that Craig solicited him for sex. The senator has contended in recent weeks that he had done nothing wrong and said his only mistake was pleading guilty.
Airport prosecutor Christopher Renz wrote in court papers Monday that Craig had plenty of time between his June 11 arrest and Aug. 1, when he signed a plea petition, to think about the consequences of pleading guilty and whether he had actually committed a crime in the airport bathroom.
Craig's arrest and guilty plea weren't reported in the news media until Aug. 27. On Sept. 1, Craig announced plans to resign by Sept. 30. He later suggested he might stay in the Senate if he could successfully overturn his plea.
Denying Craig's motion "prevents further politicking and game playing on the part of the defendant in relation to his plea," Renz wrote.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/po/20070926/...aigpoliticking

and the irony here is....this is the same man that went after Barney Frank almost 20 years ago....funny how karma works .

LPIDelta · #2 09-26-2007, 10:06 AM

Has anyone come out saying they've had a relationship or homosexual encounter with Larry Craig? I have not heard anything, and I guess until I do, I would have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Do I think he should be able to change his plea--no, he should have thought about that earlier because really its a done deal at this point.

Sugar08 · #3 09-26-2007, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LPIDelta

Has anyone come out saying they've had a relationship or homosexual encounter with Larry Craig? I have not heard anything, and I guess until I do, I would have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Do I think he should be able to change his plea--no, he should have thought about that earlier because really its a done deal at this point.

I agree. I think the sting itself was totally unfair, but his knee-jerk plea was just stupid.

Kevin · #4 09-26-2007, 10:19 AM

If he's guilty, he should resign. That's the bottom line. Sex criminals ought not be in Congress. Not only should he resign, he should do time. If it was one of us in the same position, we'd be looking at time plus having to register as a sex offender.

DaemonSeid · #5 09-26-2007, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin

If he's guilty, he should resign. That's the bottom line. Sex criminals ought not be in Congress. Not only should he resign, he should do time. If it was one of us in the same position, we'd be looking at time plus having to register as a sex offender.

well....hmm....he's being charged for a misdemeanor...I am not understanding this.

I have a question Kevin, you may know this better than I do.

(No snark in this, I really want to know)

What does his crime have to be for it to be considered to be a 'sex crime' to then make him a registered sex offender?

Wouldn't what he did have to be considered a felony under the law under the state for where the crime was committed?

scbelle · #6 09-26-2007, 11:13 AM

From what I understand of the case, it is not a "sex crime". The bathroom at that airport had become known for a place for men to hook up with each other and have consensual sexual encounters. If sex had taken place, then a crime (sex in a public place-- lewd and lascivious conduct??) would have been an appropriate charge. But since there was no sex, I really don't see what the problem is. That's not to say that I find the Senator's behavior unbecoming of an elected official; not because of his homosexual tendencies, but because of his dishonesty and hypocrisy.

When I was growing up, my grandmother's preacher got caught in a sting operation at an adult bookstore. He had approached an undercover agent and solicited PAID sex, so obviously, that's a big no-no. But I don't think Craig was looking to pay for it, was he? And I don't think he was being an underage predator, either. But, I get snippits of US news over here, so I could be wrong.

Kevin · #7 09-26-2007, 11:08 AM

I don't really know anything about Minnesota criminal statutes.

I'm not trying to dodge your question, I just don't know. I don't remember whether Craig was attempting to procure an act of prostitution or whether he was simply propositioning a person in the restroom. If he was "pandering" as they call it, in my state, that's a felony.

I can't imagine that the crime "disorderly conduct" really fits the facts at all. It definitely removes the sex crime aspect of the case. At minimum Craig ought to have to register as a sex criminal.

Kevin · #8 09-26-2007, 11:17 AM

I don't know. I didn't know the part about hooking up in airport restrooms.

That's a bit creepy.

ZTAngel · #9 09-26-2007, 12:24 PM

There have been other allegations that Craig has engaged in this type of behavior. None have been proven but the allegations go back as far as 1982.

Here's an article about it: http://www.idahostatesman.com/localn...ry/143801.html

skylark · #10 09-26-2007, 03:34 PM

For me, the issue isn't so much the "crime" he committed but the fact that he lives his public life in direct conflict with his private life. That is fine if you are into anonymous same-gender sex, own it! Don't become a senator who makes every opportunity to bash and discriminate against people who make the same life choices but choose to be honest about it.

I've met Sen. Craig and he seems like a nice guy. I honestly wish he would have taken the opportunity to just come out. He could have done for gay rights what Al Gore did for global warming.

AlphaFrog · #11 09-26-2007, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skylark

I honestly wish he would have taken the opportunity to just come out. He could have done for gay rights what Al Gore did for global warming.

I doubt it. There are no religious groups against global warming, and it really isn't a "social" issue. Science can prove or disprove global warming...nothing can prove or disprove people's stance on gay rights.

KSig RC · #12 09-26-2007, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skylark

For me, the issue isn't so much the "crime" he committed but the fact that he lives his public life in direct conflict with his private life. That is fine if you are into anonymous same-gender sex, own it! Don't become a senator who makes every opportunity to bash and discriminate against people who make the same life choices but choose to be honest about it.

I've met Sen. Craig and he seems like a nice guy. I honestly wish he would have taken the opportunity to just come out. He could have done for gay rights what Al Gore did for global warming.

You're really conflating two completely different things under a kind of halcyon ideal of what would happen . . . realistically, though, everybody on Capitol Hill has to lead two lives, a public and a private, it's just that his was much more . . . stark (and probably hypocritical to some extent, although it's not like he was engaging in gay marriages, just gay sex acts - did he try to ban the latter?).

Party lines will always force people to make voting decisions they don't want to make, and etc. - and this is without getting into the fact that he likely isn't even gay (or, at least/more accurately, gay-identified).

Rudey · #13 09-26-2007, 04:45 PM

What they should do is send him to Iran. He can not be gay over there.

-Rudey

skylark · #14 09-26-2007, 06:55 PM

Just to clarify my last post making a connection between Larry Craig to Al Gore ... I know that global warming and gay/lesbian rights are very different issues and distinguishable in many many ways. What I think Craig could have done was become a distinguished voice and face on this political issue. He has for many years been well-respected and it would probably open up a lot of people's minds if he came out. My comparison to Al Gore was that Gore gave America a face and voice of someone relatively mainstream as a proponent of concern over global warming. Having a recognizable face people can associate with a cause is very powerful in politics, and Larry Craig had an opportunity to spearhead what could have been a meaningful national debate on the issue.

VandalSquirrel · #15 09-26-2007, 08:23 PM

A lot of people in Idaho are upset about this, no doubt, but I care less about his private life, and much more that he was a senior senator and we've lost what little influence and clout we had in DC. Now we're left with Bill Sali who believes that breast caner and abortion are linked http://www.spokesmanreview.com/idaho....asp?ID=157294 and it is going to take a lot of time to regain what we've lost as a result of Craig.

I also feel horrible for his wife. If, in fact, he has had anonymous sex he may have exposed her to disease, and that is unforgivable regardless of who or what a person decides to be intimate with.