Jackson Free Press

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments in the appeal of Jackson attorney Paul Minor on April 1, in Austin, Texas.

A jury convicted Minor of corruption in 2007, though Minor's attorneys say U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate framed jury instructions to allow an effortless conviction. Wingate, for example, removed the requirement for proof of the bribe in the corruption trial. Minor is serving 11 years in prison.

The U.S. Congress is investigating whether or not the Republican-led U.S. Department of Justice targeted Minor, who was a wealthy attorney who donated heavily to Democrats in the years leading up to his conviction.

A jury also convicted former judges John H. Whitfield and Wes Teel for their connection to Minor, though Teel's wife Myrna Teel claims investigators targeted her husband, who is serving almost six years in prison, for not lying to aid in prosecutors' investigation of Minor.

Previous Commentsshow

The hearing was set for New Orleans and now is changed to Austin Tx. I hope this doesn't mean that Paul Minor has been able to change it to a judge he has alredy bribed or has in his pocket as he has done before. He would certainly want this to be the hearing that he has rigged as it means his freedom or continued prison. He has enough money and power to do it so we can only hope this is not a "bought and paid for" judge. May justice prevail which would mean stay in prison.

bevd

Mar 3 2009

bevd: Have you read the circumstances of Minor's conviction? Adam Lynch has reported extensively on this and other trials spear-headed by the Bush-era Department of Justice, which, as stated above, is under investigation. Start withDem at Your Own Risk to get another point of view.

Ronni_Mott

Mar 4 2009

The problem with the Paul Minor case so far has been political prosecution that hasn't been applied equally. And that little problem that the judge said that the prosecution didn't have to actually prove that he bribed anyone. Which they didn't. We have to be careful about supporting this kind of "justice," if we have about fairness in our judicial system. If not, you could be a victim one day.

DonnaLadd

Mar 4 2009

Ronni- I certainly have and I think he is guilty as sin.

bevd

Mar 4 2009