A Piece of the Action
RALEIGH (By John Hood, Carolina Journal Online) - Wake County Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens lost his cool last week. It remains to be seen what else has been lost in this latest sorry episode of the Jim Black saga.
The occasion of Judge Stephens’ tantrum was the final sentencing of the former speaker of the NC House, whose corrupt tenure in office eventually led to his felony conviction on federal and state charges. Having jurisdiction over the state case because the capital is in Wake County, Stephens had delayed sentencing on a bribery charge until Black paid a $1 million fine the judge had previously ordered.
While serving time in federal prison, Black sought repeated extensions of the deadline to pay his state fine. He finally paid half the fine last summer in cash. Then, still claiming financial difficulties, Black offered to transfer ownership of some Mecklenburg County land to the Wake County school system, the legally required recipient of the fine.
The occasion of Judge Stephens’ tantrum was the final sentencing of the former speaker of the NC House, whose corrupt tenure in office eventually led to his felony conviction on federal and state charges. Having jurisdiction over the state case because the capital is in Wake County, Stephens had delayed sentencing on a bribery charge until Black paid a $1 million fine the judge had previously ordered.
While serving time in federal prison, Black sought repeated extensions of the deadline to pay his state fine. He finally paid half the fine last summer in cash. Then, still claiming financial difficulties, Black offered to transfer ownership of some Mecklenburg County land to the Wake County school system, the legally required recipient of the fine.
posted by BP News Bureau | 10:00 AM
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