CLINTON - Breaking--Clinton barred from practiceing before SCOTUS

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Clinton to contest High Court suspension Nichols' Request for New Trial Denied

Reuters Monday, October 1, 2001; 3:26 PM

WASHINGTON, Oct 1—Former President Bill Clinton was suspended on Monday from practicing law before the Supreme Court as the justices opened a new term and expressed sorrow to the families of those killed in the Sept. 11 hijacked plane attacks.

Returning from its summer recess, the nation's highest court gave Clinton 40 days to show why he should not be disbarred in connection with the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

On Jan. 19, right before leaving office, Clinton admitted giving false, evasive statements about his relationship with the former White House intern. As part of the deal with the independent counsel, Clinton accepted a five-year suspension of his license to practice law in Arkansas.

That Arkansas suspension trigged the high court's action, contained in a one-sentence order entitled, "In the matter of discipline of Bill Clinton."

Clinton to Contest Disbarment

David Kendall, Clinton's lawyer, said, "This suspension is simply a consequence of the voluntary settlement entered into last January with the Arkansas Bar. Pursuant to the Supreme Court's order, we will show cause why disbarment is not appropriate."

The move amounted to a largely symbolic slap at the former president as Clinton has not practiced before the Supreme Court and was not expected to argue any cases in the future.

The Southeastern Legal Foundation, a conservative group which brought the initial complaint demanding that Clinton lose his law license, said it was pleased that "justice is done."

In opening the term, Chief Justice William Rehnquist recognized the "terrible loss caused by the terrorist attacks on America" on Sept. 11 and said, "Our hearts go out to the families of those killed and injured."

More than 5,700 people have been reported dead or missing in the attacks in which two planes slammed into New York's World Trade Center, a third plane hit the Pentagon and a fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers apparently struggled with the hijackers.

Bravery, Compassion After Attacks

"In the aftermath of the attacks, we have witnessed extraordinary bravery and compassion from Americans from all walks of life," Rehnquist said.

"Let us take a moment to grieve with those who mourn and honor those who have heroically performed their duty," said Rehnquist, who turned 77 on Monday.

Rehnquist extended condolences to Solicitor General Theodore Olson, the government's chief advocate before the high court. Olson's wife Barbara was a passenger on the flight that hit the Pentagon and she died in the crash.

Olson wiped tears from his eyes.

The justices disposed of nearly 2,000 cases that had piled up over the past three months.

In one case that dated back to the Clinton presidency, the justices let stand the fraud and conspiracy conviction of former Arkansas Gov. Jim Guy Tucker in the Whitewater land deal, rejecting his bid for a new trial because of alleged juror bias.

Tucker, a Democrat, resigned after his conviction in 1996. He was convicted along with James and Susan McDougal, the business partners with Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton in the failed Whitewater land deal in Arkansas.

The court also denied a request from Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols to reconsider his appeal because the FBI belatedly turned over documents about its investigation.

Timothy McVeigh was executed in June for the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, which killed 168 people. Nichols, a former Army friend of McVeigh, is serving a sentence of life in prison, but has unsuccessfully sought a new trial.

In another case, the Supreme Court asked the U.S. government for its views about a California law that would force insurers to divulge policies dating from the Holocaust era, a measure that provoked strong protests from the German and Swiss governments.

The 1999 law would force insurers to disclose policies sold in Europe between 1920 and 1945 as a way to help provide for recovery of lost insurance claims.

A number of insurers and the American Insurance Association sued to block enforcement of the law, which includes a provision revoking the license of any company that fails to comply. They claimed the law interfered with the U.S. government's control over foreign affairs.

-- Anonymous, October 01, 2001

Answers

Several radio programs reported that about Clinton during the day. Several were all but gloating about it. heh heh

-- Anonymous, October 01, 2001

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