Hasn't this guy got the point yet?

[fatman]

Craig Fights To Have Guilty Plea Withdrawn
By Daniel W. Reilly

Jan 9, 2008

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(The Politico) Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) is once again fighting to withdraw his guilty plea in an airport sex sting, filing an appeals brief on Tuesday arguing that his actions were not criminal.

?There is an insufficient factual basis to support the finding that he is guilty of violating any laws,? said Craig's lawyer, Billy Martin.

The filing is an appeal to an October ruling in Minnesota, rejecting Craig?s first attempt to have the guilty plea withdrawn.

Craig was arrested by an undercover police officer at the Minneapolis airport on June 11 as part of a broader investigation into men soliciting sex in airport restrooms. According to the officer who made the arrest, Craig tapped his feet (in the now infamous ?wide stance?) and swiped his hand along a stall divider in a suggestive manner.

In the brief, Craig?s legal team argues that the senator?s actions were not criminal because Minnesota?s disorderly conduct law requires that conduct alarm or anger ?others,? while Craig?s actions only affected a single individual ? the officer who made the arrest.

The brief also argues that Craig?s hand gestures are a form of constitutionally protected speech.


Link:  http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/09/politics/politico/thecrypt/main3692962.shtml

[Xavier_Onassis]

Craig didn't actually violate any law, he was just intimidated and they used psychology to force him into a confession. How can his hand sign NOT be some form of constitutionally protected speech, after all?

Of course, as an obviously gay guy who voted against gays in Congress, there is a lot of poetic justice here, and it's not like if he managed to withdraw his confession his political career would not be wrecked, since he's from Idaho and not New England or San Francisco.

[fatman]

Craig didn't actually violate any law, he was just intimidated and they used psychology to force him into a confession.

Isn't this what the police do on a more or less regular basis?  And who is more able to effect change with this tactic than a US Senator?  I do agree that the charge against him was without much merit, but he's the stupid ass that took a guilty plea.  Kinda like a lot of other rather uninformed folks do everyday.  Why should he be any different?

How can his hand sign NOT be some form of constitutionally protected speech, after all?

Personally, I wouldn't touch any part of an airport bathroom that I didn't have to.  I'm pretty sure that Craig was doing some trolling, but there is no merit in the charge unless Craig burst into the undercover cops' stall with what God gave him hanging out.

[Lanya]

I am just guessing about why he keeps this going, but I think he's simply stubborn and prideful. Er, proud.    He doesn't accept the court's judgement so he simply won't  let it go.  He's not out, so he's not gay, so he's not guilty...that is my wildass guess about his thoughts. 

[Xavier_Onassis]

Isn't this what the police do on a more or less regular basis?  And who is more able to effect change with this tactic than a US Senator?  I do agree that the charge against him was without much merit, but he's the stupid ass that took a guilty plea.  Kinda like a lot of other rather uninformed folks do everyday.  Why should he be any different?
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My point is that the police should not be using this sort of pressure to extract 'confessions' of this sort of non-crime from anyone.
How much does it cost the cops to station some unfortunate officer all day and all night in an airport john to bust peole flashing hand signs, and exactly how much is this a threat to public safety, anyway?

True, Craig is a pretty sorry excuse for a senator. But still, extracting confessions this way is dirty pool.