The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 14, 1999, Page Page 3, Image 3
Wednesday, April 14, 1999
Judge hole
by Pete Yost
Associated rress
WASHINGTON?President Bill Clinton
faces a new blot on his record and
thousands of dollars in fresh legal expenses
after a federal judge cited him
for contempt of court. Historians believe
he is the first chief executive to
receive such a penalty.
U.S. District Judge Susan Webber
Wright concluded Monday that the president
lied about his relationship with
former White House intern Monica
Lewinsky in a Jan. 17,1998, deposition
in the Paula Jones case.
"Simply put, the president's deposition
testimony... was intentionally
false," Wright wrote.
The judge ordered Clinton to pay
Jones "any reasonable expenses, including
attorneys' fees caused by his
willful failure to obey this court's discovery
orders" and also to pay $1,202
I Bi
2 Bedr
I 1JNIV
A PARI
800 Ale
Cayce,
fully furnished^
2 & 4 bedroom
Private bedroon
Individual lease
Computer lab
Alarm systems
Reserved parkir
Fully equipped I
Washer & dryer
Fitness center/1
Swimming Pool
Kee) Th
Traditio
For A
Lifetim
i
Ring Ever
is Clinton
as reimbursement for the judge's travel
in the case.
One option is for Clinton to use
his legal defense fund, which has raised
$4.5 million, to pay the sanction.
Clinton's lawyers were mum,
leaving their options open until they
see what sort of penalty Jones requests.
rv 1 l * J tvt i
wiie ui nei iawyei & &aiu iviunuay
night it could be tens of thousands of
dollars.
Wright, however, hinted in her ruling
if Clinton attempts to contest her
findings, it could have political costs for
a president eager to put the impeachment
crisis behind him, which ended
in January when he was acquitted on
perjury and obstruction of justice
charges in the Senate.
"This court is fully aware that the
president may have engaged in other
... conduct warranting" punishment,
and if Clinton exercises his right to contest
the finding, it would open the door
rand
oom/ 2 Bath Fi
ERSITY
SB r
r M E N T S
;xander Rd.
SC 29033
iMS
. to* ^
s
ig
citchen
Rec room
http://www.cap
>n I Y
IG T
11 Art<
at th<
6 nea
Q
r*m Mark
Sin th<
lob
The ]
Hi
WORLD
in conterr
for hearings complete with witnesse
"on all matters concerning the presi
dent's conduct," she warned.
At her home in Cabot, Ark., Jone
was overjoyed. "Ah! Ta ta ta ta ta. That'
all I have to say,"
she said waving "Ah! Ta t?
her hands above - t1
her head and That S all
dancing. Asked say."
whether she believed
the sanction
against the president
was good for ??????
the country, Jones
said, "I could care less. It's not abou
that, it's about what he did."
The judge also set in motion
process that could strip Clinton of hi
law license, referring the president'
testimony to the Arkansas Suprem
Court's Committee on Professional Con
duct.
~Nei
urnished Apa
behind Pi
Sho
flNG
\ w
139-0444)
A
M
B
EQ
stone-dev.con
m
Isit
o t*t j ^ r\
^g i v v^vg
5 Kiosk
ir The
rand
:etplace
_ 1
? lowerL
by of I
Russell I
ouse |
x
AND NATION
ipt of cour
s Wright said she would delay en
i- forcement for 30 days to give Clintoi
an opportunity to ask for a hearing o:
is to appeal.
s 1 think it's a vindication," said Johr
~~ Whitehead, one o
i ta ta ta Jones' lawyers. "Thi:
- * is the first event ii
I IiaVC tO the whole proceeding
where the presiden
was actually helc
accountable in th<
Paula Jones end."
?????? Historians said the^
believed the actioi
x XZ x
x was a in sl.
"I have never heard of any cas<
a where a president has been found ir
s contempt in a civil case," said Marl
s Rozell, a professor of political scienct
e at the University of Pennsylvania.
l- Clinton's historical "boxscore" wil
say in part "first elected president im
Wl 11
rtments ;
trkland Plaza
pping Center I
I
l
j
\
1
Fiifal e
t in Paula J
peached and first to be held in contempt
while in office," Rozell said.
Wright directed Jones' lawyers to
submit within 20 days a statement of
their expenses, which Whitehead said
could be "tens of thousands of dollars.
ffou have all the expenses related
to seven lawyers who attended the
deposition ? air fares, the time spent
there (in Washington!, the time preparing,
meals and what we believe was the
cause and effect of the whole thing,'f
said Whitehead.
Senior presidential aides, speaking
on condition of anonymity, said Clinton
lawyers regarded the penalty as
less severe since the judge had the op1
tinn of makiner a criminal referral
t against the president to the U.S. ati
torney's office.
The judge.said any finding of crim1
inal contempt would have required a
more lengthy process involving hearings
and taking evidence. Also, she notMAJOR
MAI
jKlf ) BRINQ THIS J
AD IN FOR 1
* D^n Jean (reg.
gfflSy * DOCKERS Twilll
Liz Claiborne Sh
? FOCUS^-2000 Ful
AP I Suit or Pant s
^ ?ap\ J (select styles) (re
d,
MWN H33U Short,
? ( |w Plaid walkshc
V. 7 'Limit one purchase per eart
Tms Thursday i
CR,
COLUMBIA-Richland Fashion Mall'6790 Garni
I
JCDfeSIGN
o ^
$5.00 off any chemical!
(not good with an
New Line of Redken Acti
including flash wash shampoc
and quick treat trea
Special Introducto
mem
i| |1 111
Vf I I III
v
&
f .
&! T f [ i :v * rr:7 * ?? .
i wrmj
Page 3
ones case
ed that much of Clinton's conduct had
been investigated by the independent
counsel's office, and she wanted to "prevent
any potential double jeopardy issues
from arising."
Jones appealed the dismissal but
then settled the case by accepting an
$850,000 payment from Clinton.
In his deposition in the Jones case,
Clinton said: "I have never had sexu
ai relations witn Monica Lewinsky."
But after his DNA was found on a dress
belonging to Lewinsky, he acknowledged
an "inappropriate intimate relationship"
with her before a federal
grand jury and in a nationally televised
address.
Clinton said that the relationship
did not fall under the definition of "sexual
relations" provided by Jones' lawyers
during his deposition and that his
testimony was legally accurate.
^ IS Any:'
19")
3ant (reg 27")
lOrt (reg 14") ^jj^
lly Lined
a'aV-aa") /Dresses, SkirtSets\
ress (reg. 29"-44") I & Pant Sets
reg. 19")
?l*t (reg. 14") ( y
thru S i intra if V
VB WMIIMM J I
ATE
ifs Ferry Rd LEXINGTON-738 W. Main St
799-9310
714 Santee Avenue
Five Points
services with USC ID
y other offer)
ve Express Products
>, split second conditioner
tment and styler
ry Price: J9.95 ffltiBSS
>