In this week's issue of Time, Michael Duffy does some heavy-duty reporting on the indictment of Scooter Libby and digs out the following key piece of information.

Fitzgerald's indictment sets the stage for either a trial next spring or a plea bargain that almost certainly would mean jail time for Libby. That possibility has already been discussed: a source close to the investigation told TIME that Fitzgerald and Libby's attorney Joseph Tate discussed possible plea options before the indictment was issued last week. But the deal was scotched because the prosecutor insisted that Libby do some "serious" jail time.

If Libby already has a plea bargain on his mind, is there a possibility that last week's indictment on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice are just the a bargaining chip used by special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald to gain more information? It's very difficult to say.

Fitzgerald has said that "the bulk of this investigation is over." Nevertheless, he did empanel a new grand jury to continue looking at the case. What is clear, however, is that Fitzgerald is one of the most tenacious prosecutors in the country. And if he is intent on convicting all who have committed crimes in the case, he will not stop at anything before he succeeds.