Taking the Fifth – Whoops

Oh ho! Take the Fifth Goodling is being found out.

Alberto Gonzalez’ liason with the White House had sent word via her lawyer that she would “take the fifth” were she called to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Turns out he (the lawyer) or she (Goodling) mis-understands the Fifth Amendment. You can’t use it to protect yourself from a crime that may be adjudged, or from possibly committing perjury, only that you “shall [not] be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against [your]self.”

For a good primer see TalkingPointsMemo.

For a fuller rundown, along with the entirety of the Fifth and some explanation of what it means see Christy Hardin Smith at FireDogLake.

And, oh by the way:

Ms Goodling is a lawyer so people might think it’s unusual that she wouldn’t know the law. But I’m frankly not surprised Ms Goodling would have some rather unconventional, out of the mainstream, legal views. She’s a graduate of Regent University law school (class of 1999) — Pat Robertson’s very own college.

Digby

If only the war could be turned off this would be a very good week indeed to be an American.