Politics & Government
Rep. William Jefferson Should Stay Out Of Prison, Prosecutors Say
Jefferson, a Democrat, represented parts of New Orleans and spent more than five years in a federal prison on bribery convictions.
ALEXANDRIA, VA — Because many of the convictions against former Louisiana U.S. Rep. William Jefferson were overturned, federal prosecutors are now recommending he stay out of prison.
Jefferson, a Democrat who represented parts of New Orleans, spent more than half a decade in a federal prison on bribery convictions. He was freed earlier this year and a judge threw out seven conviction counts against him due to a recent Supreme Court ruling that made it more difficult to convict public officials of bribery.
Jefferson was sentenced to 13 years and is scheduled for a new sentencing hearing on Friday. In a court document made public Thursday, prosecutors indicated they and defense attorneys will jointly recommend a sentence of time served.
Find out what's happening in Across Louisianafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Photo credit: Kevin Wolf/Associated Press