Posted on 10/01/2007 11:07:38 AM PDT by SmithL
John Ford will not have to report to prison on Oct. 17 as scheduled.
The former state senator was granted additional time this morning for his appellate attorney to obtain and review several thousand pages of transcripts from his bribery trial.
Ford, 65, who was convicted in April of taking $55,00 in bribes as a state legislator, was sentenced last month to 5 ½ years to be served in a federal prison near El Paso, Texas.
U.S. Dist. Court Judge J. Daniel Breen, however, continued the report date and set a hearing for Nov. 28 to determine whether he Ford should remain free pending his appeal.
His court-appointed appeals attorney, Robert Brooks, said he had been unable to prepare such a request on behalf of his client because he has not received the 3,000-page trial transcript.
“I need the tools necessary to properly represent my client,” said Brooks, an appeals specialist. “I have to have some basis to determine if there are some issues out there (for appeal.)”
Michael Scholl was Ford’s privately hired trial attorney.
Federal prosecutor Tim DiScenza argued that under the law there is a presumption against granting an appeal bond and that Ford’s case is “no different than any other case.”
Breen said 700 pages of the trial transcript have been prepared and that the rest will be completed by Oct. 15. He told Brooks to file his motion for an appeal bond by Nov. 19.
Since Ford has been declared indigent by the court, the trial transcripts, which are expected to cost some $8,000 or more, are being paid for by taxpayers.
Ford also faces a Nov. 9 trial in Nashville in another corruption case in which he is accused of hiding $800,000 he received from state contractors.
(Excerpt) Read more at commercialappeal.com ...
Is this normal for every convicted criminal
or can we say “preferrential treatment”?
IIRC, they weren’t willing to extend this courtesy to Scooter Libby.
But then again, John Ford is a Democrat, so no problem!
Hoping for a rat presidential pardon, no doubt.
Any relationship with Harold Ford?
He’s Harold Sr’s brother.
Thanks!
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