Judge refuses additional Lewinsky testimony in Tripp wiretap case
By Paul Courson/CNN
May 23, 2000
Web posted at: 3:06 p.m. EDT (1906 GMT)
ELLICOTT CITY, Maryland (CNN) -- The judge in the Maryland wiretap case against
Linda Tripp has refused a request from prosecutors that could have allowed
additional testimony from Tripp's former friend, Monica Lewinsky.
"Clearly, it's important evidence, no doubt about that," assistant
state prosecutor Mike McDonough said Tuesday.
He refused to say whether prosecutors will now drop their effort to obtain
a conviction of Tripp, who is scheduled to come to trial July 10 on two felony
counts of illegal wiretapping.
Circuit Court Judge Diane Leasure issued a ruling May 5
allowing the case to go forward, but with Lewinsky's proposed testimony limited
to whether she granted consent to allow Tripp to record telephone conversations
between the two.
In those phone calls, Lewinsky revealed details of her affair with
President Bill Clinton, which led to a federal investigation and his eventual
impeachment and acquittal.
Under Maryland law, it is illegal to record telephone calls without
consent. Tripp is charged with recording and disclosing the contents of calls
made from her home in Columbia, Maryland, about 20 miles from Washington.
In pre-trial activity, defense lawyers were rebuffed in their efforts to
have the indictment thrown out on grounds the charges relied on protected
evidence developed by Independent Counsel Ken Starr in his federal probe.
The judge held hearings to examine whether state prosecutors built an
independent case, and her subsequent ruling suppressed certain evidence that
failed the test -- including most of what Lewinsky would have told a jury.
Prosecutors filed a request May 12 for clarification of Leasure's order
limiting any Lewinsky testimony. Monday, McDonough said that since Lewinsky can
testify she never granted permission to be recorded, she should also be allowed
to validate the specific conversation prosecutors would use as evidence.
The judge late Monday disagreed, and said her order stands as written.
|