Testifying may be Jim Black's ticket out of prison, but he'd have to offer up more than he has before. According to a court papers used in the former N.C. House Speaker's July 2007 sentencing, U.S. Attorney George Holding wrote, "The information provided by the defendant in these sessions did not substantially assist in the investigation or prosecution of others, nor it is likely to ripen into such assistance."
Holding this week explained that under Black's plea agreement, federal prosecutors agreed to recommend a shorter sentence in exchange for "substantial assistance." He was responding to recent reports that more than 150 people have asked officials to commute Black's sentence or move him closer to home.
Black's scheduled release from a federal prison in Lewisburg, Pa. is in March 2012.
Here is how Holding assessed Black's contributions to prosecutors at the time:
"The defendant provided mostly what might be described as intelligence information about activities in state government. Much of what the defendant reported was already known to
investigators, from news accounts and other sources. Moreover, it is the Government’s assessment that the defendant was not completely forthcoming and truthful in the debriefing."
investigators, from news accounts and other sources. Moreover, it is the Government’s assessment that the defendant was not completely forthcoming and truthful in the debriefing."
- Doug Miller/Jim Morrill
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7 comments:
I don' understand where al of these "letters" are supposedly coming from to shorten Black's sentence. I am a Democrat and I personally would never support such a request. He sold his seat, and as A Democrat I must say it makes me even more adamant that he embarassed and tarnished the reputation of the Democratic Party. I have heard many stories from my elders about how great jim Black was. I am sure he did a lot of reat things for a alot of people. I have had people tell me how he personaly helped them. That's all well and good. It wont hurt him. He should serve his time. We need to send a message that government corruption will not be tolerated. That is not a partisan issue. Lieniency and special favors for elected officials only encourages them to continue breaking the law. I say let him pay his debt like everyone else.
Jim Balck did the crime so he must do the time. He should have thught about his wife while he was in the bathroom accepting money. Maybe if he does get out he can get a job as a bathroom attendent at the IHOP.
AL Vaughn
He needs to stay where he is.
The time to think of family was before he did all of these mis-deeds.
The letters are obviously from people that Black could implicate if he were to cooperate with prosecutors.
Therefore, the letter-writers have a great interest in getting him out of prison before he rats them out.
THERE ARE PERSONEL MIS DEEDS WITHIN THE BLACK FAMILY THAT THE PUBLIC IS NOT AWARE OF THAT WOULD CHANGE EVERYONES MIND ABOUT FEELING SORRY FOR THE THIEF...INCLUDING PAYOFFS TO JUDGES LAWYERS AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS TO TURN THEIR HEADS ABOUT ALL THE ILLEGAL THINGS HIS FAMILY WAS INVOLVED IN.. I KNOW IT HAPPENED TO MY FAMILY......WE ARE GLAD HE HAS LOST HIS POWER..WE HOPE SOME DAY THIS WILL ALL BE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE...
His "Holier than Thou" attitude put him there, let him rot or server the full sentence. Too bad there in not room in the cell for Parks Helms.
Can't the U.S. attorney and other federal agents get it right? Can't they understand that Jim Black was truthfully responding to questions from the vantage point of having been active in the legislative leadership of state government in North Carolina under the parameters of established rules and regulations for the conduct of state business?
Why just make up some imaginary state or federal laws for some supposed series of legal violations? There are "rules to the game" in Raleigh and the former Speaker only stepped outside of the rules in reluctantly and unwisely Agreeing to accept campaign contributions from a chiropractors' group without proper official reporting of the transaction. This violation of the rules occurred in Rowan County, but the Raleigh political team saw to it that Mr. Black was assessed the unprecedented and constitutionally unjustified fine of $1 million to be paid for strictly local public education in the Wake County school system.
Why do federal officials think that because the great name of Terry Sanford is on the federal courthouse in Raleigh that they are supposed to plunge into factional Democratic politics in Raleigh and drum up charges against some people which are not founded in fact?
Can't they get it right that some people do not want any part of "vote-buying" schemes because they beleive in the lawful poltical process of earning your votes through the legitimate rules of competition in the arenas of local, state and federal politics?
All this was was a chance for yet another Research Triangle county--Wake County--to get an opportunistic though legally dubious transfer of funds for one of its departments through simply stripping some North Carolinian from outside the Triangle of the just fruits of his labors in the business and commercial marketplace of the Old North State.
Guess what, Charlotte? You beleive understandably that a city depends upon business, commerce and the professions and occuaptions of our country to thrive. Meanwhile, in Raleigh, all you need is government and politics to guarantee your basic local economy.
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