Wednesday, March 01, 2006

You obviously can't handle the truth

Attorneys representing Slobodan Milosevic before the UN War Crimes Tribunal want to subpoena Bill Clinton to testify.

I am not familiar with the Tribunal's rules but evidentiary rules typically permit a cross examining lawyer to impeach a witness by confronting that witness with the fact that he or she has committed a dishonesty crime. For the lucky guy or girl doing the cross, it is the height of lawyerly glee; a mini-Perry Mason moment. I've only got to do it a few times but it was oh so sweet.

Clinton agreed to disbarment to resolve allegations that he perjured himself (he did - the transcript leaves no doubt) in the Paula Jones case. So, if the former President of the United States has to testify, could he be forced to admit that he was, essentially, disbarred for being a liar?

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