Thursday, August 27, 2009

Justice in Birmingham


Today, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was present for the swearing in of the new U.S. Attorney in Birmingham, Alabama: Joyce Vance (pictured) who takes the reins from Alice Martin, the Rove Republican Racket's dearest political prosecutor of Democrats.


With Vance sworn in, true justice returns to Alabama. As you may recall, Martin was a vicious and extremely partisan prosecutor.

From the Associated Press:

Vance takes over an office that under former U.S. Attorney Alice Martin began an intensive investigation of Alabama's two-year college system. That investigation led to convictions or guilty pleas from three legislators and the former chancellor of the state's two-year-college system.

Some Democratic leaders have said the investigation was partisan and targeted at Democratic office holders. Vance did not mention those cases in her brief remarks, but said her office would dispense justice equally.

Some supporters of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman and former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy have pressured Holder to clear the two of their 2006 convictions in a government corruption case.

Siegelman has charged that his prosecution was pushed by the administration of former Republican President George Bush and Bush aide Karl Rove.

There was one reference to the Siegelman case. That came when the master of ceremonies, Birmingham attorney Barry Ragsdale, introduced U.S. District Judge Mark Fuller, the chief judge in the Middle District of Alabama who presided over the trial of Siegelman and Scrushy. "We are pleased that Karl Rove gave you permission to come," Ragsdale joked as he pointed at Fuller.