Breaking tonight!!! He's Going to Be Free as of TOMORROW and through the Appeal (Overturning)!
A federal appellate court today ordered former Gov. Don Siegelman released from prison while he appeals his 2006 conviction, saying there are "substantial questions" about his case.
Siegelman attorney Vince Kilborn said Siegelman would be released sometime Friday morning. "His wife and his daughter, Dana, are driving out to get him," Kilborn said. The judges wrote that Siegelman met both requirements for an appeal bond: He is not a flight risk and his appeal raises a substantial question of law or fact likely to result in reversal or an order for a new trial.
"After thorough review of this complex and protracted record, we conclude Siegelman has satisfied the criteria set out in the statute, and has specifically met his burden of showing that his appeal raises substantial questions of law or fact," the judges wrote.
Politico calls it a victory for the Blogosphere
Thanks to the persistence of progressive blogs and "60 Minutes," a fascinating story now will be scrutinized everywhere. Wonder if any TV stations in Alabama will have, um, technical difficulties with this bulletin.
Press Release Below
Date: 03/27/2008 12:10 PM
BC-Siegelman-Democrats/179
EDs: APNewsNow; Will be led.
House panel seek Siegelman testimony before Congress
By BEN EVANS
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) _ The House Judiciary Committee has asked the Justice Department to temporarily release former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman from prison to testify before Congress in early May about possible political influence over his prosecution.
A spokeswoman for the committee said Thursday that Siegelman, who is serving more than seven years in a Louisiana prison, would travel to Washington under guard of the U.S. Marshals Service. She said Committee Chairman John Conyers, a Michigan Democrat, wants to hear directly from Siegelman because lawmakers are having trouble getting information elsewhere, including from the Justice Department.
Siegelman, a Democrat, was elected governor in 1998 and served one term. He was convicted in 2006 on six bribery-related and one obstruction of justice charge. Democrats last year began reviewing the case as part of a broader investigation what they said were selective prosecutions by the Bush administration.
If you can spare some, consider donating to Don's Legal Fund
Major MAJOR Cudos to the following Bloggers on this victorious development:
One Pissed Off Liberal
eugene
aggressiveprogressive
Mogolori
homerun
And I'm sure there were more that I missed...