Judge asks Lewinsky to submit to interview with Starr

WASHINGTON, Jan 23: President Bill Clinton's impeachment trial resumed today with attention divided between senators' questions and a new legal battle touched off by prosecutors' efforts to force Monica Lewinsky's cooperation, reports AP.

US District Judge Norma Holloway Johnson ordered Monica Lewinsky to submit to an interview with prosecutor Kenneth Starr to assist the Senate impeachment trial, a legal source said.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Johnson ruled that House prosecutors had no right under Ms Lewinsky's immunity deal with Starr to force her to submit to their questioning. But Johnson ruled that Starr could force Ms Lewinsky to answer questions from his staff and allow the House prosecutors to attend.

The House prosecutors led by Republican Rep Henry Hyde obtained Starr's help Friday in attempting to force Ms Lewinsky to talk to them, touching off a legal battle in Johnson's court.

Judy Smith, a spokeswoman for Ms Lewinsky, said her legal team was considering an appeal. "We're taking that question under advisement," she said.

Starr's prosecutors and the lawyers for Ms Lewinsky went to court late Friday arguing over whether she had to cooperate. Hyde had written Starr seeking his help with Ms Lewinsky, who rejected being interviewed by the House team.

Democratic Sen John Kerry said he opposed the ruling.

"It's an inappropriate intervention of the judiciary in the proceedings of the Senate," Kerry said. "It is a separation of powers problem."

Back at the trial, senators began a second day of probing the two legal teams, submitting written questions through Chief Justice William Rehnquist.

Republican Rep Lindsey Graham, one of the House prosecutors, pleaded with senators not to end the trial and "leave this confusion behind."

"If you leave us confused about whether or not this is a crime or not, the impact is far greater than if you rule that this is a crime but the political death penalty is not called for," he said, arguing senators should allow the trial go through to a final vote of the articles.

The House managers were also questioned by Democrats about why they pressed ahead with plans to force Ms Lewinsky to submit to an interview. They acknowledged they had not told the president's lawyers of their plans.