Licensed to Lie

Putting this book down was nearly impossible, so I finished it within a 24 hour time period. Not only is it very well written, even for those with limited law knowledge, frankly, this book of truth will infuriate you. It will also confirm your suspicions of inequality and injustice under the law. If you ever trusted our government (which I never have), no longer will you have faith in the FBI, DOJ or any of the other acronym agencies. If you yell at your TV every time the MSM slants stories to fit their political narratives, you will find yourself yelling at this book in anger and frustration. I don't know how Ms. Powell got through all she endured, not to mention the victims and their families in the cited cases.I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for answers as to why, after so many endless investigations and congress hearings in the last few years, no one has been indicted or sent to prison and probably will not serve any time or be held accountable for their criminality. The lunatics have definitely taken over the asylum in our (in) justice system and we should all be terrified. - Donna Watson

“Licensed to Lie” is a page-turner of the very first chop. It is even more interesting if the reader is a lawyer, and absolutely enthralling for those of us who practice criminal law in the federal courts. Ms. Powell’s style is vivid and gripping. As one who has parried with hostile, biased judges and mystifying appeals panels, I can relate to every experience she recounts. The prosecution against Senator Ted Stevens was the most sordid chapter in the corrupt “Main Justice” history. Judge Emmet Sullivan may have some warts on him, but he was a titan of righteousness in that case. Ms. Powell gives us an excellent recounting of that travesty. Every American should read it. In my view the government misconduct in the Skilling case and the Nigerian Barge case does not rise to that level of outrageousness. The Stevens prosecution was contrived by DOJ crooks (or higher) to knock the senator out of his seat, and to tilt the course of a national election. The DOJ conspired to convict an innocent man and alter the political landscape. We are seeing this today in all things Trump. This is as bad as it gets.Skilling, by contrast, was a greedy crook. Everyone around him was a crook as well. Their covetousness cost many thousands of people their jobs, their livelihoods, and their financial futures. I assume that Weissman et al. were dishonest and corrupt in those prosecutions; that is despicable, but the effect is different, and the harm infinitely less. Excesses aside, they were not trying to frame innocent people. (I need to further research the Jim Brown case.) The DOJ lawyers may have had a Good Faith but wrong belief that Mr. Brown was guilty of something. I personally would not give them the benefit of any doubt, but it may be that I am wrong. I note that Ms. Powell, a superb appellate lawyer, was not able to convince any court of Mr. Brown’s innocence on his perjury and obstruction convictions.A few things in “Licensed to Lie” jump out at a veteran trial lawyer.Is Judge Ewing Werlien corrupt, or lazy, or both? Author Powell impugns the judge’s integrity, to put it mildly; he is still on the bench in Texas (July 2019), and Ms. Powell is not likey to go back there any time soon. Judge Werlien appears in the book to be totally biased against Ms. Powell’s client. That is a bad thing, to be sure, but it is likely that the judge was convinced by the trial of Mr. Brown’s guilt. There is no Presumption of Innocence following a jury verdict, and judges are less likely to conceal any bias post-trial in ruling on motions. New trials (Rule 33) are rarely granted. Similarly, the Fifth Circuit panel applied the same standard to Ms. Powell’s Brady argument; Brown’s conviction was fair despite any Brady violations. I am an unabashed admirer of Ms. Powell, and I have never tried a case in the Fifth Circuit, but I do not believe that all of the judges down there are waterboys for Weissman and Ruemmler.I was amazed at the section wherein Ms. Powell recounts the “Speedy Trial Act” issue. She asserts that dismissal of the Brown prosecution was virtually automatic if the Speedy Trial Act (STA) “clock” was exceeded. At that point I stopped reading to confirm that Ms. Powell had ever actually been a working Assistant U.S. Attorney (and not just an appeals lawyer). No case is ever dismissed because of STA violations; the law is a charade. The purpose of the Act is to deprive defendants of the constitutional right to a speedy trial, by allowing the prosecutors to “legally” delay the case indefinitely by filing motions which “stop” the Speedy Trial “clock.” Ms. Powell must know this.The other section which, frankly, does not have the ring of truth is her description of Mr. Brown’s incarceration at Fort Dix. All we read about Fort Dix is what Mr. Brown told Ms. Powell. Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Fort Dix is a LOW security facility. There are no cells, no bars, and very moderate security (I’ve been there). The inmates live in “pods” like military squad bays. Inmates appear to walk around the grounds freely during the day. Dix is notorious only for how slack it is; cell phones and the like, although prohibited, are widely available to the inmates. At one point Ft. Dix was the largest institution in the Bureau of Prisons, with over 4,000 inmates. FCI Fort Dix is “low” security because of the nature of the inmates; mostly older guys, mostly “nonviolent” offenders like Brown with relatively short sentences and no prior offenses, and no gangs.Assuming it is true, I was left pondering why a guy like Jim Brown would be singled out for harassment by the staff in a relatively soft institution. Fort Dix is maybe 50 miles from where I live; I have had clients sent there. I have never heard anything bad about the prison, relative to other federal jails. Indeed, because of its reputation, my clients sometimes request placement at Dix at their sentencing hearing, although drug-dealers and gangbangers are unlikely to get sent there. I was left to wonder if maybe Ms. Powell herself stirred up some resentment or irritation among the staff, based on her rather forceful and dynamic (combative?) personality, which comes through continuously in the book.In all a great book, best I have read this season (I get through 2-3 books a month).Rather famously Ms. Powell is representing General Flynn. A mysterious case if ever there was one. I have hopes that that book will be even better.

After you read this book, you will be asking yourself: Why is Wiesmann not in jail already. Why are more former DOJ attorneys not in jail with him? This chronicle of DOJ injustices is absolutely appalling! The activities these people were perpetrating on American citizens is unbelievable! Once you read this, you will know why the Mueller probe can not have had any semblance of honesty, with Wiesmann being the guy in charge. This book has a wealth of information about the injustices perpetrated by government lawyers. The only problem I had with the book was that it got harder to read towards the end, where it bogged down in too many details. Although it was captivating, towards the end I had to plod through it to finish it. But all-in-all worth reading just for the unbelievable information it provides about the workings of the DOJ.

Sydney Powell has written an amazing book here. She is brilliant, has a great sense of humor and is in the know.The work she did on the case she describes is a monumental accomplishment and with her commitment and brilliance she saved lives. She took it all the way to the Supreme Court to do it. Just breathtaking that such is allowed to go on in this country and it is nightmarish to consider that if you can't afford great legal representation you are cooked...This book is so pertinent for today as well. One of the players in this book, to put its simply a very bad guy, is operating as we live and breath. If the American public realized.....I believe its would rock sane people to the core.This is a 10 in my opinion. This book should be read by many.Sometimes things are not at all what they seem. The media paints a very deliberate picture and sometimes it rarely resembles the truth.Highest recommendation.

What a fantastic lady Sidney Powell is a top attorney a brilliant author

Essential reading for those who want to know what really goes on.

This entertaining window on justice just adds positive proof and details to the sordid story of politics and corruption in the DOJ. The narrative is mesmerizing in the fashion of watching a train collision slowly unfold before your eyes. With the background of politics and the venality of the powerful elite you can see the inevitable conclusion coming toward you like a locomotive headlight.If this was fiction you might hope for a happy ending. But it is real world corruption and so you know that the ending is not a happy one. For readers who want to know how we got to this sorry state in our democracy this will be a good way to spend your time. For all woke people; you might want to protect your worldview and just read the mainstream media version.

A very factual look at the outright corruption in the DOJ especially Prosecutorial Abuse that should never be permitted but runs rampant. A long read that could have been shortened. However, a good job by Sidney Powell in exposing it.

This book will begin to show you how the justice system has become totally corrupt. This has not happened overnight ,but taken place over decades. The Justice department is not the only one that has become corrupt .The United States is closer to the Soviet Union now than to America`s founding 245 years ago.