High court rejects CIA leak case

WASHINGTON, June 22 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court Monday refused to review the dismissal of a case involving former Vice President Dick Cheney and the leak of a CIA official's identity.

Cheney, his former chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former White House political aide Karl Rove and former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage were sued by Valerie Plame Wilson, and her husband former Ambassador Joseph Wilson.

The couple contended Cheney and the others were trying to discredit Wilson, who publicly said his mission to Africa did not support the Bush administration's claims the Saddam Hussein regime was trying to get uranium yellow cake for a nuclear weapons program.

The Wilsons said administration officials revealed Valerie's classified CIA position to hurt Joseph's credibility.

A federal appeals court in Washington dismissed the suit, saying the Wilsons had not identified violations of any constitutional claims. (In a separate case, Libby was convicted of obstruction in the grand jury investigation of the leak, but then President George W. Bush commuted part of his sentence.) Monday, the Supreme Court rejected review of the case, Wilson et al vs. Libby et al 08-1043, without comment.

The high court Monday accepted three other cases for review, all of which should be argued and decided in the new term that begins in October.

The justices agreed to weigh the constitutionality of a 2005 law giving federal officials power to order the long-term confinement of those considered sexually dangerous, U.S. vs. Comstock, 08-1224, SCOTUSBLOG.com reported.

The high court also said it would review the scope of a suspect's Miranda rights, specifically whether Miranda warnings must include an explicit statement a suspect in custody may have a lawyer in the room where questioning is taking place, Florida vs. Powell 08-1175.

The justices said they would review whether lawsuits recovering misspent federal funds are banned if the underlying information came out of state or local reports or audits rather than federal agencies, Graham County Soil & Water, et al., vs. U.S. ex rel. Wilson No. 08-304.