U.S. District Judge James Dever has sentenced former N.C. Rep. Michael Decker and former N.C. Lottery Commissioner Kevin Geddings to four years in prison for their unrelated roles in a political scandal involving former Speaker Jim Black. Black has yet to be sentenced, but already readers are wondering what a federal sentence really means.
One reader asks:
“Nowhere in the Observer or on TV have I heard anything but Geddings has been sentenced to ‘four years.’ Now, the public are not dummies.... how long will he realistically be in jail, serving what has been called a longer then recommended sentence?
“When will the parole eligibility kick in? 6 months? Less?
“We all know that white collar criminals rarely serve a sentence that will disrupt their careers or personal lives. You know he will behave himself while he is locked up, (probably while writing a book about his innocence and perceived miscarriage of justice.) Let us know what the real sentence we can expect him to serve truly is.”
That’s a good question. Some years ago, inmates in both state and federal prison served a fraction of their nominal sentences, but that changed when both the federal government and North Carolina government rewrote their sentencing laws and did away with the parole system for crimes committed after the mid-1990s.
This is a federal case. I’ve looked up the guidelines and practices on the U.S. Bureau of Prisons website and it says -- if you can find it among the array of documents in the 5000 series ("Inmate and Custody Management") -- that federal prisoners can expect to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences. That means both Decker and Geddings could expect to serve about 41 months in prison. They would be eligible for a “good conduct time credit” of up to 54 days per year in prison.
There is no such thing as federal parole. Both Decker and Geddings will also serve a two-year tem of supervised release, and each will also be responsible for paying a fine – $50,000 in Decker’s case and $25,000 in Geddings’ case.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
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8 comments:
Jack they didnt get what the Observer thought they were going to get and doubt JIM BLACK stays overnight in jail; The Observer made it sound like BLACK was OSAMA BIN LADEN with ties to the Lottery; Thats nothing when they get good behavior is most two years and I doubt Black even goes JUDGE DEVER should have recused himself really. I cant believe Judge DEVER took a chance on this case why when the DOJ gets wind of this they wont like it JACK;
This was another North Carolina good Ole bot technique that Southerners use to stay out of JAIL; Come on Jack what would andy Griffith do on this ; This is a conflict of interest drawn up to get Black out of office for BUSH and AG Adolf Gonzoles . this sounds like the investigation of the AGs office about prosecutors who wouldnt go above the law and screw People at BUSHS command; Just call them a TERRORIST and the wolves will get them. This Country has went to NAZISM.
Bushs Grandfather was a NAZI sympathizer and I do believe we have a rising star in the FAMILY; Prescott Bush had everything confiscated by FDR during WW11 because he was dealing with the NAZIs during war time. Sounds like we have a chip off the old block;
Wow, Jack, the kooks (or should I say "kook", because it all looks like it's from one person) sure came out on this one.
Here's hoping that Decker, Geddings, and Black each serve the maximum. The betrayal of the public trust exhbited by these three is unfathomable, and they should be punished accordingly.
I heard the BLACK and GEDDING will be in the same prison and they are on the PRISON POKER team; I also heard they are trying to get a CASINO to come here next to N.C. and maybe a horse track
I heard Judge Dever had been grinding his ax for JIM BLACK for a while; Could it be that Judge Dever DYED his White Robe Black to sit on the bench like HUGO BLACK did for the Supreme Court.
One can only wonder if the laws enacted by the state legislature under the bought control of Jim Black are legal. Are they?
"One can only wonder if the laws enacted by the state legislature under the bought control of Jim Black are legal. Are they?"
In a perfect world, they wouldn't be. Sadly, that's not the way things work.
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