. Former Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes was sentenced Tuesday for violating the states ethics laws and committing perjury while in office. (Riley Laychuk/CBC) Hughes was pulled from the rubble with a rope around his neck, and with a utility knife in his. Testimony during the trial described Hughess office as a frat house where employees drank alcohol on site and played video game consoles, pointing to an abuse of trust and taxpayer dollars. If Hughes violates the terms of his sentence he will be required to serve 3 years. TUSCUMBIA, Ala. . Former Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes was sentenced Tuesday for violating the state's ethics laws and committing perjury while in office. The capital murder trial of Grady Wayne Wilkes, who is accused of murdering Auburn Police Officer William Buechner, will begin on Feb. 6. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. Hughes lawyers argued that Hughes does not pose a threat to the community. The community program would allow him to receive the rehabilitative care he needs to learn from his mistakes, and he would be able to continue financially supporting his family if he was admitted into the program. Copyright 2021 WBRC. He will also be required to pay back the $14,000 in public funds he used for legal fees to settle a sexual discrimination lawsuit, and he will also be required to pay restitution to a Chambers County business related to his conspiracy to commit theft charge which was dismissed, according to the state. An Opelika man has been arrested in connection to a shooting incident that allegedly occurred Monday morning at Piggly Wiggly located at 1515 . Vanderhooftsaid during the trial that after Hughes killed his wife, hetried to take his own life. His defense requested he serve a non-custodial sentence in a community corrections program, which was denied. Sentencing Date. The sentencing hearing will be to determine how many years in prison he must serve before he is eligible for parole. "I am still trying to make sense of what happened.". According to Hughess sentencing order filed Monday, the former district attorney will spend 10 months in the Lee County Jail followed by two years of unsupervised probation. The Opelika Police Department asks for the publics assistance in identifying two suspects allegedly involved in a theft. Hughes cited his long career as a prosecutor and his desire to serve the public in asking the judge to let him serve time in a community corrections program, which would allow him to stay at his home at night, but the judge refused after prosecutors objected. A split sentence is hard time and isnt subject to parole. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Please subscribe to keep reading. Former Lee Co. DA sentenced to jail for violating ethics law while in office. SUMMARY 2022 Career WAR 1.4 1.4 W 2 2 L 3 3 ERA 3.12 3.12 Ex-DA Brandon Hughes' sentencing is postponed. Travis Foster said on the first day of the trial Betty was found inside the destroyed house with a multitude of cuts and lying in a pool of blood. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. According to the states response to the defenses motion filed Sept. 9, state prosecuting attorneys said, if Hughes were approved by the court to serve his time in a community program, it would show favoritism of the elite.. Judge Pamela Baschab set a hearing on Oct. 5 for former Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes, who pleaded guilty in June to perjury and using his office for person gain, WTVM-TV reported. While Hughes previously had been suspended from office as a result of his indictment, the courts acceptance of his plea of guilty caused his removal from office as a matter of law. Hughes abruptly entered a plea agreement in this case on the second day of his trial in June 2021. He said Betty was a great person who will be missed, while maintaining his version of events as presented at the trial. A split sentence is hard time and isnt subject to parole. Prior to serving on the appellate court, she was a circuit judge in Colbert County, hence the location for Hughess sentencing. Police identified the third suspect as Joshua Williams III, who remained silent as police escorted him away from MPD Headquarters on his way to Metro Jail. If you need assistance accessing or viewing any material on the Public Inmate Locator website, please contact CDCRs Identification Unit at (916) 445-6713, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays), between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p. Hughes had also testified in his own defence. The people of Lee County and all Alabama citizens expect and deserve the highest ethical standards and professionalism from every person in the criminal justice system, especially prosecutors. The State of Alabama opposes this motion. His. Hughes will appear in court on November 9 at 1:30 p.m. CST at the Colbert County Courthouse. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. A MAN has been fined 66 by magistrates after he was caught working as a scrap metal dealer at. If you need an inmate's conviction information, you may contact the court or jurisdiction. by Alabama News Network Staff The Alabama Attorney General's Office announced this afternoon that Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes pleaded guilty to two felonies: perjury in the. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. . Lee County District Attorney BrandonHughes. The Alabama Supreme Court appointed retired Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Pamela Baschab to preside over the case. Columbus police on scene of bank robbery at Wells Fargo on Milgen Rd. The sentencing came after Hughes, who originally pleaded not guilty to seven felony charges which include five counts of using a position for personal gain, one count of conspiracy to commit theft and one count of first-degree perjury, changed his plea after only two days of trial. "I have spent thousands of dollars and countless hours trying to navigate my post-mom world," said the tall, slender man, speaking through tears. Former Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes was sentenced Tuesday for violating the states ethics laws and committing perjury while in office. In June, Hughes pleaded guilty to first-degree perjury and using his public office for personal gain. Hughess convictions stem from giving false information to a Lee County Grand Jury and using $14,000 from his offices official budget to litigate a settlement in a sex discrimination claim filed against him by a female prosecutor who was a former employee. Edward Seibold, the man found guilty of slaying three innocent girls in 1967, will remain behind bars for at least another five years. All rights reserved. Testimony during the trial described Hughess office as a frat house where employees drank alcohol on site and played video game consoles, pointing to an abuse of trust and taxpayer dollars. Inmate spouses talk concerns at Gatesville prison units LEE COUNTY, Ala. ( WRBL) - Former Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes and his attorneys are trying to keep him from serving his ten-month prison sentence behind bars. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall recused himself from involvement in the prosecution of Brandon Hughes due to Marshalls service alongside Hughes in the Alabama District Attorneys Association. Alex Hosey, Former Lee County District Attorney. Police investigating the quadruple murder of four University of Idaho students discovered a pillow covered in 'blood' and gloves in suspected killer Bryan Kohberger's apartment.. All rights reserved. A man found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of his wife is scheduled to be sentenced for the crime in May. Overcast Wednesday Afternoon; Strong Storms Tomorrow Morning, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell tests positive for COVID-19, has 'mild' symptoms, working from home, Man Charged with Murder in Narrow Lane Road Shooting, Pay It Forward: Eddie Brooks, Jr. of Uniontown. He said he doesn't remember much about the first four months after his mom died and that hestopped eating, sleeping and working for a period of time. Betty's final words, he said, were "The kids think of the kids.". Edward Seibold, the man found guilty of slaying three innocent girls in 1967, will remain behind bars for at least another five years. Another figure in Sandler's story was former Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes. 7 with two road scores, Date set for capital murder trial of man accused of murdering Auburn police officer in 2019, District judge revokes bond of man charged in Bramblett deaths, Opelika police ask for help identifying to female suspects allegedly involved in theft from Best Buy, Auburn Police arrest two juveniles on burglary and theft charges, Opelika man arrested in connecting to shooting incident at Piggly Wiggly, In Vienna, balls are back with a bang after a two-year pandemic-induced hiatus, Why Floridas manatees are dying off at record pace, 45 dead, 20 still missing as Ukraine ends tower block search, Fed official says rate hikes are beginning to work. Taylor, 19, has been in jail at the Lee County Justice Center since Dec. 13 when he was booked for parole violation after testing positive for marijuana. The inmate's current location is in Plainfield, Indiana, and you can visit . Along with the 10-month jail sentence and 2 years of probation, Hughes is ordered to pay $14,000 in restitution to the Lee County District Attorneys Office in order to repay the money he spent in public funds to pay for a sexual descrimination civil suit against him in 2018 as well as $1,350 to Highway 50 Towing, a business in Chambers County related to Hughes now-dismissed charge of conspiracy to commit theft. Pathologist Dennis Rhee testified Betty had more than a dozen injuries when she died, but the ultimate cause of death was blood loss from an 11.7-centimetre wound that extended from her eyebrow across her temple and into her ear. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. by {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Auburn Buc-ee's opening set for April 2023, Lee County Sheriffs Deputy recovers from exposure to hazardous substance, investigation ongoing, Edward Seibold, man convicted of brutal 1967 Auburn murders, denied parole again, Former Auburn baseball star Sonny DiChiara sounds off on AHSAA ruling against high school coach, Family of Dylan Pegues to hold 5K in honor of late son: We wouldnt feel right doing anything else., Lisa Marie Presley dies at 54 after hospitalization, New Lee County NAACP president begins two-year term and is ready to listen to community needs, An experienced haul: Dissecting Auburns transfer portal success, LEE: Men In Black, Auburn basketball, and when the world is ending, except it isnt, Niffer's Place holding contest to add menu item named for Cadillac Williams, Wong steals show but No. "Mr. Hughes recognizes that he could have behaved differently," saidSimmonds, adding there was no prior suggestion of abuse or violence of any kind by his client. The defenceis seeking a period of 10 years before parole eligibility. The capital murder trial of Grady Wayne Wilkes, who is accused of murdering Auburn Police Officer William Buechner, will begin on Feb. 6. If you believe any information in this site is in error, please contact the CDCR Identification Unit at (916) 445-6713. As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed. In December, Robert Hughes, 65, was found guilty by a jury of 12 people of killing his wife, Betty Hughes, before their east end house blew up. In December of 2019, Hughes announced his office was seeking the death penalty in this case. Barry Matson, the executive director of the Alabama District Attorneys Association, thanked the Alabama Attorney Generals Office on behalf of his organization for its work in the prosecution of Hughes and the staff of the Lee County DAs Office for getting through the difficult process. Responding officers said they confirmed that forced entry had been made into the business. OPELIKA, Ala. (WRBL) - The trial of former Lee County Attorney Brandon Hughes comes to an abrubt halt, even before the jury heard all the testimony. In pleading guilty in late June, Hughes admitted to lying for providing false testimony under oath to the special grand jury and pleaded guilty to hiring his children to work in his office. It is a priority for CBC to create a website that is accessible to all Canadians including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. LEE COUNTY, Ala. (WTVM) - Former Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes will have to wait a little longer to be sentenced. His defense requested he serve a. Hughes is requesting to serve in a community corrections program that allows him to remain at home instead of serving 10-months in jail. The explosion on Oct. 22, 2019, left the Hughes's Brandon house in ruins. The case was prosecuted by the Alabama Attorney Generals Special Prosecutions Division lead by Clark Morris, which specializes in ethics violations and public corruption. Hughes will be sentenced at a later date . Prior to Hughess suspension, he was directly involved in the prosecution of Ibraheem Yazeed, charged with kidnapping and capital murder in connection to the death of Homewood teen Aniah Blanchard. Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes (Lee County Detention Center), Former Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes was sentenced to 10 months in state prison after pleading guilty in June to two ethics violations, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshalls office announced Tuesday. He was previously based at CBC's bureau in Brandon for six years, covering stories focused on rural Manitoba. Tuesday's sentencing was postponed due to a medical emergency . He wasfound guilty of second-degree murder by a jury last December. The Alabama Supreme Court appointed retired Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Pamela Baschab to preside over the case. At . Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Now, more than ever, we need your support. April 19, 2014 12 AM PT. Opelika police identify, charge theft suspects after month investigation, WATCH: Funeral services underway for UGA staffer Chandler LeCroy, Columbus police searches to ID suspect from McDonalds theft, Columbus Police Department searching for hit and run suspect, Harris County community anticipates free health fair in Hamilton, Harris Co. School District, Mercer Medicine set to launch new telehealth program, Swim instructor arrested in 4-year-old Izzy Scott drowning, $14,000 from his offices official budget. Hughess convictions stem from giving false information to a Lee County Grand Jury and using $14,000 from his offices official budget to litigate a settlement in a sex discrimination claim filed against him by a female prosecutor who was a former employee. "I screwed up," he said, recounting the same words he said to his son shortly after Betty's death, when he promised his children would get the truth. His defense requested he serve a non-custodial sentence in a community corrections program, which was denied. Detail Information about inmate Brandon Hughes - Public Records. Hughes was pulled from the rubble with a rope around his neck, and with a utility knife in his hand, court was told. Explosion on Oct. 22, 2019, Hughes pleaded guilty to first-degree perjury using... Arrows to review and enter to select sentencing is postponed conviction information, may! Cdcr Identification Unit at ( 916 ) 445-6713 the CDCR Identification Unit at ( 916 ) 445-6713 Judge Colbert... 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