Libby Pleads Not Guilty in CIA Leak Case

By PETE YOST, Associated Press Writer
31 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff pleaded not guilty Thursday in the CIA leak scandal, marking the start of what could be a long road to a trial in which Cheney and other top Bush administration officials could be summoned to testify.

I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby entered the plea in front of U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton, a former prosecutor who has spent two decades as a judge in the nation's capital.

"With respect, your honor, I plead not guilty," Libby told the judge.

Libby, who is recovering from a foot injury, leaned his crutches against a podium from which lawyers normally question witnesses or address the court. He stood with his newly expanded legal team at the table reserved for the defense.

"He wants to clear his good name, and he wants a jury trial," one of Libby's new lawyers, prominent trial attorney Ted Wells, said later outside the courthouse.

During the 10-minute arraignment, Walton set Libby's next court appearance for Feb. 3 and learned from the lawyers they had no idea when they would be ready for trial.

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald estimated it would take two weeks for the government to present its case against Libby, and the timing would depend on pretrial motions by his attorneys.

William Jeffress, one of the lawyers Libby hired this week to bolster his defense team, told the judge, "It may be a little early" to predict when they would be ready for trial. Jeffress said several First Amendment and national security issues would have to be resolved by the court before a trial could be held.

Among the issues is whether journalists will be compelled to testify during the trial and how quickly Libby's lawyers would receive security clearances so they can review classified documents that might prove useful in his defense. >>>cont

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