Clark says witnesses against Saddam giving false testimony News
Clark says witnesses against Saddam giving false testimony

[JURIST] Former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark [JURIST news archive], currently a defense lawyer for Saddam Hussein [JURIST news archive], Friday accused witnesses of false testimony, claiming they had read their testimonies from pre-written statements. Only two of the nine witnesses [JURIST news archive] that have testified thus far have stood in open court, while the rest have testified from behind a curtain with their voices computer-modified. The identities of the witnesses have not been disclosed for security purposes after defense lawyers were murdered [JURIST report] in October, but Clark said the inability to confront the witnesses is a serious flaw in Iraq’s justice system. Clark also questioned the motives behind the testimony, claiming that the possibility of pressing for monetary compensation in a criminal court gave them improper motives and “corrupts the trial itself.” The trial has been adjourned until December 21 [JURIST report], after the December 15 Iraqi elections. Reuters has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

First impeachment trial began in US Senate

On December 17, 1798, the US Senate began its first impeachment trial. Senator William Blount of Tennessee, a land speculator, was accused of plotting with England to wrest control of Florida from Spain. The Senate ultimately dismissed the charges for lack of jurisdiction—and, perhaps incidentally, lack of Blount, who had gone to Tennessee and had refused to return to the Senate for trial. Read more on the trial of William Blount.

Simon Bolivar dies

On December 17, 1830, South American revolutionary Simon Bolivar died in Colombia. During his lifetime, Bolivar led successful revolutions against Spanish colonial rule throughout South America. His efforts led to the independence of the modern-day nations of Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Panama, Ecuador and Bolivia, a nation named in his honor.