Traficant Sentenced to 8 years

[Lunatic Fringe]

Fox reporting- Traficant sentenced to 8 years, $150,000 fine

[nycbiggie1]

I agree that the statement that the judge gave was out of line, but jail time is certainly in line - hopefully we will see more congress-people get hit by the same stick.

[Dave S]

Holy crap. He should have just killed somebody and gotten off light.

Holy crap! Maybe the fool shouldnt have played at being his own attorney. If the evidence is as flimsy as you Trafficant lovers say, then a real lawyer could have gotten him off.

[sinkspur]

I'm sure an appeal is imminent.

And if Traficant acts as his own lawyer in the appeal, it will fail.

Bathroom humor does not favorably dispose anybody, judges included.

[Dave S]

this will be SUCCESSFULLY appealed in my opinion

Are you an attorney?

[NeoCaveman]

As I understand Traficant can run again IF he is to do his time in Ohio, but he cannot run if he is sent to some other state. Where is he supposed to do his 8 years?

I read in the paper that the prisons chosen included one in Ohio and several out-of-state prisons...it might be up to the judge and speaking of the judge...I hear jim is changing his name to "She Hate Me"

[NeoCaveman]

Good riddance. Now the GOP can get to work filling that seat with a Republican who won't be a public embarrassment.

The district goes 2 to 1 Democrat, Youngstown is a weird place.

[cynicom]

Sharp...

Good lawyer and lot of money, with that judge, Traficant may walk.

[Catspaw]

No, not out in four. This is federal time, not state time. The good time is about one month for each year served (unless they've changed the calculation recently). He'd be out in in a little over seven years.

There is a federal prison camp in Ohio for low risk male offenders. That may be where he ends up.

[Dave S]

This is unbelievable. He hasn't done anything worse than most of the rest of the congress critters have done.

Then you admit he's guilty? You just say they all do it, like Clinton argued.

[Constitution Day]

...I hear jim is changing his name to "She Hate Me"

ROFL!!!

[NeoCaveman]

Traficant has two solid grounds for appeal before today.

1. Change of venue was done to make the porsecution's case easier...when does that happen?
2. The judge should have recused herself as her husband's firm does business with one of the main "witnesses".

[Dave S]

As I understand Traficant can run again IF he is to do his time in Ohio, but he cannot run if he is sent to some other state

He may be able to run but he cant serve if congress refuses to seat him. Want to bet on his chances of being seated?

[Ingtar]

WOW! AP called him a Democrat!

[CWRWinger]

Now the GOP can get to work filling that seat with a Republican who won't be a public embarrassment.

Yes, they can put one of their well groomed socialists in their who won't question any governmental tyranny.

[Alberta's Child]

If that's the case, then the Republicans in the House should have left him there. Imagine Traficant trying to explain to the voters why he had to abstain from all those votes over the eight years that he was in prison.

[ForOurFuture]

Now the GOP can get to work filling that seat with a Republican

Oh boy. A Republican!! That'll make everything right.

[habs4ever]

the poor hairpiece ;-)

[Alberta's Child]

Traficant never questioned "government tyranny," either. At least not until the last couple of years when he realized that his only hope of keeping his job was to turn himself into a freak show on the floor of the House.

[gilor]

Ouch..........hopefully, that means out in four......

Let that dirty politico scum rot!

[Mudboy Slim]

"eight years in prison"

OUUCCHHH!! That's gonna hurt...MUD