The buzz at the Libby courthouse today, where 11 jurors have held dozens of journalists hostage for an eighth day of their deliberations on the fate of the former top aide to Vice President Cheney, was not entirely focused on when the verdict might come in, but who would play the principals in the movie version.

Warner Bros. Pictures is developing a feature on the lives of former CIA officer Valerie Plame and her husband former diplomat Joseph Wilson, the Washington couple at the center of the CIA leak scandal.

During one of his frequent walks down the courthouse's corridors, defense attorney Ted Wells was asked who he'd like to play him in a film.

"I think Jeffrey Wright should play me," Wells said. "He did it in 'Syriana,' he said, referring to the D.C. attorney named Bennett Holiday that Wright played in the movie. "But you won't see me on the floor pouring over legal documents" as the character in Syriana did, Wells added.

Another defense attorney, William Jeffress, smiled as reporters asked if he'd consider William Macy as his film alter ego.

Randall Samborn seem bemused by the notion that his boss, Patrick Fitzgerald, might best be served by Harrison Ford.

With three months of pre-trial activity left before the beginning of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's January trial, his attorneys and Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald have been mired in negotiations and courtroom arguments on everything from admitting memory experts to which classified documents might be allowed at trial.

Today, Judge Reggie Walton, who is presiding over the case, revealed a rare insight on just how much the CIA leak case is on his mind.

In a footnote to an order extending the deadline for a pre-trial filing by both parties, the judge writes, "As the parties are aware, Judge Walton will be on vacation in Jamaica beginning November 18, 2006 and it is particularly important for the expeditious resolution of these motions that Judge Walton have something to work on while relaxing on the beach."

I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby seemed relaxed this afternoon as he strode down the hallway on the second floor of the federal court just before his motions hearing. Libby greeted waiting reporters and then walked to a small office in the courthouse, punching in the number of a cipher lock to a room, referred to as the "skiff," where, since his indictment in October, Libby has come nearly every day to examine classified documents that could be used for his defense.

Libby's wife Harriet Grant was in court today - first time since the indictment. Libby first sat next to her in the front row, gave her a hug, then moved to the defense table.

If there was a headline to the nearly 2 1/2 hour hearing, it was Judge Reggie Walton's stern words.  Judge Walton said that the case could be sabotaged by Libby's efforts to obtain the highly classified Presidential Daily Briefs (PDBs), which were provided to him during his morning intelligence briefings with the Vice President.

There was plenty of courtroom drama aside from special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald exclaiming that the classified document's release could be the "third rail" for his efforts to prosecute Libby.

Always impassioned lead defense attorney, Ted Wells, infamous for his courtroom surprises, didn't fail to amuse with a small stunt. Wells argued that all one has to do is "push a button" at the CIA and all the PDBs he has requested to defend Libby would emerge. He then showed a blue document bag to the judge. Wells produced a key to the zipper-lock on the bag and offered it to Judge Walton to examine.  The judge summoned Fitzgerald and other lawyers to the bench as he accepted the invitation to unlock the back and inspect its contents. Wells, clearly satisfied, declared, what you are looking at are classified queries that Libby asked during one of his intelligence briefings with the Vice President. Wells said his defense team was given this portion of a PDB in his document dump. For a moment the hearing was pure theater.

For the next 20 minutes, both sides referred to the PDBs as "family jewels." Ted Wells argued that a key defense for his client will be that Libby -- during the time that he is accused of passing on the name of Valerie Plame Wilson as a CIA employee to reporters -- "was busy with the 'family jewels."  Wells said Libby could not recall passing on Valerie Plame's identity to reporters.

Fitzgerald argued that during the first part of July 2003 it was not the "family jewels" that consumed Libby, but protecting the White House from the damage of Ambassador Joe Wilson's Niger trip findings. Fitzgerald said: "He was consumed with it more than he should have." The special counsel said Libby told reporters, "He even wanted to be referred to as a 'Hill Staffer'," in an attibution to the Plame leak.

Stay tuned, Judge Walton promised to rule on the "family jewels" in two weeks.

In a court filing late last night, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's lawyers revealed some of their defense strategy -- namely, that their client simply can't remember things like, "snippets of conversations about Valerie Plame Wilson's employment status." Libby's defense, according to court documents, is that he was overwhelmed by the demands of his job at the White House, and might have forgotten, or misconstrued conversations.

His lawyers included portions of Libby's grand jury testimony that highlight the "pressing matters" of his job that may have affected his memory. Libby told the grand jury on March 5, 2004: "I tend to get between 100 and 200 pages of material a day that I'm supposed to read and understand and I -- you know, I start at 6:00 in the morning and I go to 8 or 8:30 at night... I can't possibly recall all the stuff that I think is important, let alone other stuff that I don't think is as important... I apologize if there's some stuff that I remember and some I don't."

Ted Wells, Libby's lead attorney, writes, "the defense of confusion, mistake or faulty memory is a valid and well-recognized defense in perjury." He continues: "Given the urgent national security issues that commanded Mr. Libby's attention, it is understandable that he may have forgotten or misremembered relatively less significant events. Such relatively less important events include alleged snippets of conversations about Valerie Plame Wilson's employment status."

The defense team notes that they have reviewed "extensive research on the functioning of memory," and cites scientific literature on memory that "shows that people tend to remember things that are personally important to them and may forget or confuse things that are not."

The filing also indicates that "it is highly likely that Mr. Libby will testify at trial."

Now up and running, the official "Scooter Libby Legal Defense Trust" at www.scooterlibby.com. The fund is fueled by donations from friends and supporters of the indicted former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney.

"There is already more than $2 million in the trust," according to Barbara Comstock, a Republican strategist and a member of the fund's steering committee. "The goal is for about $5-6 million in donations."

The trust was set up to help Libby pay for "growing legal expenses." The Web site states, "good lawyers are very expensive. And Scooter and his family already have made many sacrifices during Scooter's 10 years of dedicated public service. Now they need our help to win this fight."

The site is peppered with testimonials on Scooter's service to the country, like this one by former Amb. Dennis Ross: "He's cared much more about trying to do a job than trying to get visibility for himself. He's approached his job with the sense that his role is basically to support others."

And this from Cheney himself: "Scooter is entitled to the presumption of innocence. He is a great guy. I worked with him for a long time. I have tremendous regard for him." (those were Cheney's words last week during his interview on FOX News.)

Florida shopping-center magnate Mel Sembler chairs the trust. Sembler is Chairman of the Board of The Sembler Company in St. Petersburg, Fla. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Italy from 2001 to 2005. Sembler also served as Finance Chairman for the Republican National Committee from 1997 to 2000. The trust's steering committee is composed of several prominent Republicans, a few Democrats and several friends of Mr. Libby.

Hundreds of people across the country have already made donations, according to Comstock. The gifts are coming in at under $12,000 to avoid tax liability for the donors, she said.

Another tense day in the Alexandria, Virginia federal courthouse where the war of words continued for confessed 9/11 conspirator, Zacarias Moussaoui.

The reason for today's hearing, according to U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema -  one day before direct jury questioning is set to begin - was to determine, "how Mr. Moussaoui plans to behave ... whether you plan to remain quiet ... or whether you plan to make speeches."

Well, Moussaoui did not oblige to the judge's requests to remain mum.

This is hardly the first time Moussaoui has attempted to grand stand in the courtroom.

Just last week he was tossed out four times for outbursts. Those remarks included disavowing his court-appointed lawyers, proclaiming loyalty to al-Qaida, deriding the trial as a "circus", and promising to testify "truthfully" about his role.

Moussaoui did not disappoint today.  He took the podium to address the court and once again proclaimed himself to be Al Qaeda.

The judge said, "Mr. Moussaoui you are fighting--"

Moussaoui, cutting off the judge, "Four years, four year, you deny me even one minute to express to everybody why these people are organizing my sending to the gas chamber or lethal injection, okay? And each time you have said, 'Mr. Moussaoui, you have been civilized. Mr. Moussaoui, keep quite or the marshal will kick you out.' You think that I'm going  -- today is my death."

And he attempted to make fun of his three court appointed lawyers, calling them, a "federal lawyer," a "KKK" (Ku Klux Klan) and a "geisha." One of his attorneys, Allen Yamamoto happens to be a Japanese-American.

The judge warning him, "Now, Mr. Moussaoui, excuse, I am not going to permit you to use a public federal courtroom to malign you attorneys."

But Moussaoui, wearing his green jailhouse jumpsuit with large white lettered, "Prisoner" across his back, did not stop with his insults.

He said, "I'm not French .... I stand here as a Muslim only. I do not stand here with a nation of homosexual crusaders."

"Today is my day," he plunged on. "If I can't make sure that those people are not going to represent me I know that I am dead."

Moussaoui declared, "I'm al Qaeda, I'm a sworn enemy of you. You, you, you, you, you, (pointing at the judge and the defense and prosecution teams) for me you are enemy. And you own commander in chief says he want to launch a revenge against terrorists."

Judge Brinkema had had enough of it. She said to him, "Mr. Moussaoui, you are the biggest enemy of yourself."

Which he responded, "No, absolutely not.

After several minutes she ordered Moussaoui out of the courtroom which he replied, "I'm going to leave."
 
Brinkema ordered that Moussaoui will have to watch jury selection from a cell at the courthouse. He will have a video link to the courtroom and will have to be transported to the courthouse everyday from his jail cell.

As he was being led out of the courtroom Moussaoui said, "I'm leaving. I'm taking my papers. That's all I do. God curse you and America....take care of my death...God curse you."

Wednesday 85 prospective jurors will be chosen from a pool of 500 that were given questionnaires to fill out last week.

Because of limited space in the Alexandria, Va. federal courthouse only a half dozen reporters were allowed into Judge Leonie Brinkema's courtroom today for the start of jury selection in the sentencing phase of Zacarias Moussaoui's trial. When seated, the jury will determine whether Moussaoui, the only person convicted in the U.S. on charges stemming from the Sept. 11 attacks, is executed or spends the rest of his life in prison.

I was among the "pool" selected to hear the third of four sessions where prospective jurors were to be selected. The courtroom was filled with more than 130 prospective jurors. Most of them white, from their 20s through their 50s or 60s -- one woman wore a headscarf, presumably she was Muslim. All in all, nearly 500 possible jurors came to the courtroom in the four, roughly 30-minute sessions. That pool will be narrowed on February 15 to 85 and then on March 6 to 18. Only 12 jurors will decide the fate of Zacarias Moussaoui. The others will be alternates.

One minute into the proceedings today, Moussaoui, hands folded across his waist -- wearing a green prison jumpsuit with the white word "Prisoner" across his back -- was led into the courtroom by three plain-clothes marshals.

(On the elevator up to the 10th floor courtroom I asked one of the prosecutors in the case why Moussaoui was wearing a prison uniform and not street clothes, as defendants are entitled to wear when they appear before a jury. The prosecutor told me, "he had a choice and he made it." He didn't respond when asked what choices Moussaoui had.)

It was when he reached the defense table, halfway across the well of the court -- where his court appointed lawyers were sitting, that he burst out in a clear voice declaring that he is a member of al-Qaida. He disavowed his lawyers and pledged to testify on his own behalf in the trial. Still standing, he said to the crowd, "This trial is a circus." Then he declared, "I want to be heard." Of his lawyers, he said, "These people do not represent me." Then he recited the names of his court-appointed counsel. "This defense is a fraud... I will tell the truth that I know," he said, speaking with a thick French/Moroccan accent. "These lawyers are not my lawyers... I don't want to be represented by these lawyers," Moussaoui rambled.

"This is not the time," Judge Brinkema responded.

Over the judge's admonishment, Moussaoui went on, "For four years I have waited. I will tell them the truth I know." After about one minute of rambling, Judge Brinkema ordered marshals to take him from the courtroom. Moussaoui turned toward the judge, put his hand on his head and continued speaking -- though it was not possible to hear most of what he said. His parting words were clear as he was escorted out of the courtroom: "I will take the stand."

Judge Brinkema emphasized to the group of jurors "the gravity of the decision you will face about whether someone lives or dies." She described a death sentence as "an awesome responsibility not to be taken lightly." The judge also asked jurors to indicate on their 50 page questionnaires if today's outburst would affect their deliberations.

The "Libby Legal Defense Trust" is up and running, fueled by donations from friends and supporters of the indicted former chief of staff to the Vice President.

"There is already more than $2 million in the trust," according to Barbara Comstock, a Republican strategist and a member of the fund's steering committee. Expect a new Web site to be unfurled shortly as well -- next week is the target date, according to Comstock. She tells NBC, "the goal is for about $5-6 million in donations."

The trust was set up to help Libby pay for "growing legal expenses." Hundreds of people across the country have already made donations, according to Comstock. The gifts are coming in at under $12,000 to avoid tax liability for the donors, she said.

Florida shopping-center magnate, Mel Sembler chairs the trust. Sembler is Chairman of the Board of The Sembler Company in St. Petersburg, Fla. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Italy from 2001 to 2005. He also served as Finance Chairman for the Republican National Committee from 1997 to 2000.

Don't hold your breath in anticipation of a trial to begin any time soon in the CIA leak case of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. In court today, U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton scheduled jury selection to begin January 8, 2007. Walton said he had hoped to start the trial in September 2006 but one of Libby's lawyers, Ted Wells, had a scheduling conflict -- another trial -- that made an earlier date impractical. Walton said he "hates to have a case linger so long," but had no choice.

Expect to see Libby back in court on February 24, 2006 for another status hearing. Today, he seemed relaxed and made small talk with reporters while stopping for coffee in the courthouse cafeteria. He asked a reporter what he was listening to on his iPod, then he headed to a conference room on the second floor to wait for the open hearing to begin.

The legal tango between Libby lead attorney Ted Wells and Special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald began with Fitzgerald saying that "99%" of discovery documents were delivered to Libby. Some 250 pages of material were sent yesterday and Fitzgerald promised another 800 pages today. But Wells contended "we believe that thousands and thousands of pages" of discovery documents are still in the possession of the special counsel's office and have not been handed over.

The only time Libby spoke during the 30-minute proceeding was when asked if he agreed to waive his right to a speedy trial. "Yes, sir," was Libby's answer.

The media scrum at the courthouse was at high intensity -- a freelance cameraman for CBS News went down, chasing Pat Fitzgerald as he left the courthouse. Camera suffered some scrapes and the  cameraman was visibly shaken after tripping over a flowerpot. The Libby departure was less painful, though a still photographer running backwards knocked over some equipment boxes belonging to CNN. A vigilant technician caught him before he took down the entire CNN liveshot location. All in a days work covering Scooter, et. al.

For those who need a refresher: Former Chief of Staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, Libby was indicted in October 2005 on charges that he lied to FBI agents and a federal grand jury about how he learned CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity and when he subsequently told reporters. Plame's identity was published in July 2003 by columnist Robert Novak after her husband, former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson, accused the Bush administration of twisting intelligence about Iraq's efforts to buy uranium "yellowcake" in Niger.

Editor's note: Correspondent Tom Costello reports tonight on the Senate Appropriation Committee's hearing on mine safety.

Since the Sago mine tragedy, some reports have said mining is America's most dangerous occupation. However, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists several jobs with worse at-work fatalities. 

It says the deadliest are:
(fatalities per 100,000 workers in 2004)

• Logging, 92.4
• Pilots (including crop dusters and air taxi fliers), also 92.4
• Offshore fishermen, 86.4
• Steel riggers, 47
• Trash collectors, 43.2
• Farmers and ranchers, 37.5
• Roofers, 34.9
• Power line installers, 30
• Miners, 28.3

Read the full report from the BLS here.