Judge Walton releases Libby's love letters.

<--Click to enlarge. Here is Judge Walton's filing.

From Thinkprogress:

Who wanted Scooter Libby to be given a lenient sentence? Now we’ll know. Judge Reggie Walton said today “he will release more than 150 letters he received regarding next week’s sentencing” of Libby, “who was convicted in March of perjury and obstruction in the CIA leak case, had asked that the letters not be released. Attorneys for several news organizations argued that the law required the letters be made public.” Emptywheel delves into Walton’s decision.

Walton notes:

To the extent that the defendant believes that the sentencing letters contain private information about the letters' authors (other than home addresses and telephone numbers) that should, in his estimation, be redacted before the letters are publicly disclosed, he should immediately, but no later than 9:00 a.m. on June 4, 2007, identify this information to the court in an ex parte submission. However, the Court advises the defendant that it will not be inclined to redact such information unless it is plainly sensitive or confidential.[my emphasis]

Those letters is public information. Yes, the home addresses and phone number should be excluded to protect privacy. Walton did the right thing. And I bet a large majority of people who wrote those letters in support for Libby are from the Libby Defense fund. And if Fred Thompson is one of the people who wrote in Libby's support, he better be careful with his integrity as he is now running for President in 2008.