Plame's attorney acknowledges he has to clear some tall hurdles to persuade a judge that she and her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, had their free speech, due process and privacy rights violated.
Several Bush administration officials leaked Plame's identity to reporters after Wilson began criticizing prewar intelligence on Iraq. Nobody was charged with the leak, which would have been a crime only if someone had knowingly given out classified information. Libby was convicted Tuesday of obstructing the leak investigation and lying about how he learned about Plame.
"The Libby trial makes abundantly clear there was wrongdoing going on at the highest levels of our government, and that's what this case is about," said Erwin Chemerinsky, a Duke University law professor who will argue Plame's lawsuit.
Though Libby's criminal case and Plame's civil suit involve a similar background, his conviction won't bolster her case because they involve different charges.
Chemerinsky, Plame's lawyer, said the May 17 hearing will focus on constitutional law and the scope of prior Supreme Court cases. It won't be a political debate. Still, he said he understands the case is tinged with political intrigue.
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