News

Alabama in spotlight not always good


Published: Sunday, March 2, 2008 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, March 1, 2008 at 10:28 p.m.

Alabama is again in the national spotlight, and it's not flattering news.


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The prosecution, conviction and sentencing of former Gov. Don Siegelman is the topic of great debate these days and it's a politically charged issue that is causing people to take sides. And it's never good when justice becomes an issue of left and right versus fair and just.

A federal jury convicted Siegelman, a Democrat, in June on six bribery-related charges and an obstruction of justice charge. The judge, Mark Fuller, a Republican, had chains and handcuffs placed on Siegelman at the moment of his conviction and sent him away to serve just more than seven years in prison.

The story was news in Alabama, of course, but it has since caused a whirlwind of controversy nationwide. Here are some reasons:

  • The judge's decision to put Siegelman in chains and send him off immediately was certainly unusual, especially for a white-collar crime. Normally, those convicted have 45 days to get their affairs in order before reporting to prison. Usually, they also are allowed to stay out on bail during an appeal process. But the judge, a former state GOP executive committee member who was appointed to the judgeship by President Bush, went another away.

  • Almost everyone in the judicial system says a seven-year prison term does not fit the crime, but Fuller actually could have made the sentence longer, based on law. Yet, former Alabama Gov. Guy Hunt, a Republican, never spent a day in jail for state ethics violations.

  • The heart of the case against Siegelman is that he accepted a $500,000 contribution to his education lottery campaign from HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy. In return, Scrushy was appointed to an influential medical board that he had been appointed to previously by two other governors. Siegelman never personally pocketed any of the money, but he was responsible for repaying the lottery campaign fund. People contributing to political funds and candidates is nothing new, and it's nothing new for those who give the most to obtain government jobs or appointments. It happens almost every day in every state.

  • Two other criminal cases were initiated against Siegelman and later dropped because other prosecutors thought the cases were not just.

  • A key witness in the current case, Nick Bailey, said he met with prosecutors 70 times and they asked him to write his story down several times so he could keep it straight.

  • A GOP operative in the state, attorney Jill Morrow, said Karl Rove was involved in a plot to get Siegelman and even suggested trying to get evidence of him having an affair.

  • Fifty-two current and former attorneys general - Democrats and Republicans - requested that Congress look at the case because of appearances of politically motivated prosecution.

  • The Justice Department won't provide Congress with documents critical to the probe.

    My guess is Siegelman and his attorneys are hoping a Democrat wins the White House in November. If so, you can expect an immediate investigation and a pardon for Siegelman to follow.

    Regardless, expect a lot of negative pub for Alabama.

    Mike Goens is the TimesDaily managing editor. He can be reached at 740-5740 or mike.goens@timesdaily.com.


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