Lawyers for Don Siegelman — the former Alabama governor who was convicted in 2006 on corruption chrages, despite evidence that the prosecution was politically motivated — have made their first oral arguments in their appeal.
The Associated Press reports that the the defense lawyers are leading with a different argument, that the conviction should be overturned “partly because jurors communicated with each other during the trial.”
It continues:
Siegelman attorney Sam Heldman also told the panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta that prosecutors did not prove Siegelman had a “quid pro quo” agreement to appoint [HealthSouth CEO Richard] Scrushy to a hospital board in exchange for contributions to a state lottery campaign.
As we’ve told you before, the US Attorney in the case continued to advise prosecutors even after formally recusing herself becasue her husband is a GOP operative and Karl Rove ally.