Published November 24, 2008
Justice Sanders says he didn't heckle A.G. during speech
Although the rumor that Washington State Supreme Court Justice Richard Sanders heckled U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey just before he collapsed is making its rounds on the blogosphere, Sanders says that's bunk.Mukasey is back at work, but Michelle Malkin appears to have started the Sanders speculation with her article "Who Heckled Attorney General Michael Mukasey?" Here's the top bit:
Before Attorney General Michael Mukasey collapsed during his Federalist Society speech on Thursday night, someone in the audience disrupted the remarks. The heckler reportedly shouted “Tyrant!” Lawyer Wendy Long reported on Fox News last night that the heckler was Washington State Supreme Court Justice Richard Sanders.
I dearly hope this is not true.
I knew, respected, and greatly admired Justice Sanders when I worked at the Seattle Times in the 1990s.
The rest of the post continues along those lines. I talked to Sanders today, and he said he was at the gathering of the Federalist Society at which Mukasey collapsed mid-speech (he was released from a hospital and returned to work). But Sanders said he went back to his hotel before Mukasey spoke.I asked him specifically about Malkin's suggestion that he heckled Mukasey."As to that, I don’t have any comment. But I wasn’t there when he collapsed. I heard it on television the next morning, I was very sorry to hear it," Sanders said.He directed me to a full video of the meeting, and I watched it (Malkin also linked to it). I dearly hope this is not true.
I knew, respected, and greatly admired Justice Sanders when I worked at the Seattle Times in the 1990s.