Washington, DC, July 1, 1998 -- U.S. District Judge James Robertson today
dismissed the federal tax evasion case against former Associate Attorney General Webster
Hubbell, ruling that Mr. Hubbell's Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination was
violated by prosecutors from the Office of Independent Counsel.
Praising today's decision, NACDL President Gerald B. Lefcourt, New York City,
released the following statement:
"Mr. Hubbell's tax indictment was clearly vindictive and in bad faith. Judge
Robertson showed great courage, compassion and common sense in throwing out
the case which, by the Independent Counsel's own admission, was built entirely on
evidence extracted under a promise of immunity. A promise made is a debt unpaid,
but a promise made by the Independent Counsel obviously isn't worth the paper it's
written on until the court enforces the debt."
[Click Here] for the text of the
District Court's decision.
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NACDL is the preeminent organization in the United States advancing the mission of the nation's
criminal defense lawyers to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime or other misconduct.
A professional bar association founded in 1958, NACDL's almost 10,000 direct members -- and 80 state
and local affiliate organizations with another 28,000 members -- include private criminal defense lawyers,
public defenders, active U.S. military defense counsel, law professors and judges committed to preserving
fairness within America's criminal justice system.
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)