The saga of Larry “Wide Stance” Craig continues.
He really thought he was home free, that he could plead guilty by mail to a misdemeanor in
But he was found out. And that’s when he started to spin. Oh how he did spin! He temporarily generated his own gravitational field, so furiously did he spin!
His latest craven ploy has been to try to withdraw his guilty plea, after six weeks after sentencing! Hennepin County District Judge Charles A. Porter treated the matter with the harsh skepticism it deserved when it came before him on Wednesday. He pointed to Craig’s admission in August that his behavior constituted a crime that "would arouse alarm or resentment of others." During the 40 minute hearing, the Judge said "That's what he did in his petition -- admit what he did."
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Craig's attorney, Billy Martin, argued that the senator did not consult a lawyer before making his guilty plea, which he mailed to the court. At a hearing with a lawyer representing Craig, a judge would have asked the senator questions about the incident before accepting a plea, Martin said.
But Porter cut off the attorney, saying "my speculation" is that Craig wanted to plead guilty. "If he intended to plead guilty, he would have said 'yes' " to questions about whether he knew he had committed a crime, the judge said.
For the guilty plea to be withdrawn, Craig and his attorney must manage to convince the Judge that for the plea to remain in place would constitute a “manifest injustice” for the plea to stand. (Craig skipped the proceedings).
His lawyer maintained that would be the case because his actions were “innocuous” – there was no physical or verbal contact that would rise to the level of disorderly conduct. "None of those facts, Your Honor, in and of themselves constitute a crime," he told Porter.
Porter was ready for the Senators mouthpiece.
The judge said that, if he came down off the bench running at Martin, "shaking his fist," without ever punching him or yelling at him, it would likely prompt the attorney to think the judge was trying to incite him.
“It absolutely would," Martin said.
"Well, that's disorderly conduct," Porter replied.
In fact, he should resign no matter what Judge Porter decides. He is either a pervert, or he is a moron. (Although it's likely he is both.) And "moron" alone should be enough to cost him his seat.
