MONTGOMERY (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a new review of the convictions in the government corruption case against former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman and ex-HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy.
The court’s brief order vacated the decision of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which had upheld their convictions, and ordered the lower court to review the appeals in light of a ruling that went against what is known as the “honest services” fraud law.
kAm{2DE H66< E96 ;FDE:46D 7@F?5 72F=E H:E9 E96 2?E:\7C2F5 =2H :? E96 42D6 @7 7@C>6C t?C@? 49:67 y677C6J $<:==:?8[ 2?5 5676?D6 2EE@C?6JD 7@C $:686=>2? 2?5 $4CFD9J 925 9@A65 E92E CF=:?8 H@F=5 8:G6 E96> 2 ?6H 492?46 E@ 492==6?86 E96:C 4@?G:4E:@?D]k^Am
kAm$:686=>2? 2EE@C?6J $2> w6=5>2?[ H9@ 92?5=65 E96 7@C>6C 8@G6C?@C’D 42D6 367@C6 E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE[ 42==65 E96 4@FCE’D 564:D:@? %F6D52J “2 >2DD:G6 G:4E@CJ]”k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< E9:D :D 2 DE6A E@H2C5 2 7:?2= 2?5 4@>A=6E6 =682= G:4E@CJ[” w6=5>2? D2:5]k^Am
kAmyFDE:46 s6A2CE>6?E DA@<6DH@>2? p=:D2 u:?6==: D2:5 E96 286?4J 925 ?@ 4@>>6?E @? E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE 564:D:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 ``E9 r:C4F:E =2DE J62C DECF4< 5@H? EH@ 492C86D E92E $:686=>2? H2D 4@?G:4E65 @7 3FE FA96=5 E96 @E96C 7:G6 — EH@ 7@C 7C2F5 2?5 E96 @E96CD 7@C 3C:36CJ[ 4@?DA:C24J 2?5 @3DECF4E:@? @7 ;FDE:46] $:686=>2? D2:5 %F6D52J E92E 2== 4@F?ED H6C6 >:?8=65 2E EC:2= 2?5 2== 7:G6 D9@F=5 36 @G6CEFC?65 :? E96 ``E9 r:C4F:E C6G:6H]k^Am
kAm%96 4@FCE FA96=5 2== D:I 4@F?ED 282:?DE $4CFD9J[ H:E9 7@FC 2AA62C:?8 E@ :?G@=G6 E96 9@?6DE D6CG:46D 7C2F5 =2H 5:C64E=J] %96 @E96CD H6C6 7@C 3C:36CJ 2?5 4@?DA:C24J]k^Am
kAms676?D6 2EE@C?6JD 4@?E6?5 E96 9@?6DE D6CG:46D =2H :D G28F6 2?5 FD65 3J AC@D64FE@CD H96? E96J =24< 92C5 6G:56?46[ 3FE :ED 5676?56CD D2J :E :D 2? :>A@CE2?E E@@= :? 7:89E:?8 4@CCFAE:@?] %96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE D2:5 AC@D64FE@CD >2J 4@?E:?F6 E@ D66< 9@?6DE D6CG:46D 7C2F5 4@?G:4E:@?D :? 42D6D H96C6 E96J AFE 7@CH2C5 6G:56?46 E92E 5676?52?ED 2446AE65 3C:36D @C <:4<324<D]k^Am
kAm“(6 H6C6 4@?G:4E65 F?56C E9:D G28F6 ?@E:@? E92E D@>69@H H6 925 G:@=2E65 E96 9@?6DE D6CG:46D @7 E96 DE2E6 @7 p=232>2] %96C6 H2D ?@ 32D:D F?56C 6I:DE:?8 =2H 7@C >6 E@ 36 7@F?5 8F:=EJ @7 3C:36CJ[” $:686=>2? E@=5 %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD]k^Am
kAm$:686=>2?[ ec[ H2D D6?E6?465 E@ >@C6 E92? D6G6? J62CD :? AC:D@? 2?5 92D 366? 7C66 @? 2AA62= 3@?5 D:?46 yF?6 a__g] $4CFD9J[ df[ H2D D6?E6?465 E@ ?62C=J D6G6? J62CD :? AC:D@? 2?5 H2D 56?:65 C6=62D6 @? 2AA62=] w6 92D 366? :? AC:D@? D:?46 yF?6 a__f] w:D 2EE@C?6J[ y:> y6?<:?D @7 pE=2?E2[ D2:5 %F6D52J 96 5:5 ?@E <?@H :7 2 ?6H >@E:@? D66<:?8 9:D C6=62D6 H@F=5 36 7:=65]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 ;FDE 6?;@J:?8 E96 8@@5 ?6HD C:89E ?@H[” y6?<:?D D2:5]k^Am
kAm!C@D64FE@CD 2C8F65 E92E $:686=>2? 2AA@:?E65 $4CFD9J E@ 2? :?7=F6?E:2= 9@DA:E2= C68F=2E@CJ 3@2C5 :? 6I492?86 7@C $4CFD9J 2CC2?8:?8 Sd__[___ :? 4@?EC:3FE:@?D E@ E96 8@G6C?@C’D 42>A2:8? 7@C 2 DE2E6 =@EE6CJ :? `hhh]k^Am
kAm“x7 E96J 42? AFE >6 :? ;2:= 7@C C62AA@:?E:?8 #:492C5 $4CFD9J E@ 2 3@2C5 96 925 C6D:8?65 7C@>[ E96J 42? AFE W!C6D:56?ED q2C24<X ~32>2 2?5 v6@C86 qFD9 :? ;2:= E@52J[” $:686=>2? D2:5]k^Am
kAm$4CFD9J 925 D6CG65 @? E96 3@2C5 F?56C @E96C 8@G6C?@CD] $4CFD9J 2?5 $:686=>2? 2=D@ 4@?E6?5 E96C6 H2D ?@ 562= 36EH66? E96> 2?5 E92E AC@D64FE@CD 72:=65 E@ AC@G6 E96C6 H2D 2?J 6IA=:4:E “BF:5 AC@ BF@” 28C66>6?E[ H9:49 :D C6BF:C65 :? 7656C2= 3C:36CJ 42D6D] %96 5676?D6 2=D@ 2C8F65 E92E &]$] s:DEC:4E yF586 |2C< uF==6C @7 |@?E8@>6CJ 5:5 ?@E 256BF2E6=J :?DECF4E ;FC@CD E92E DF49 2? 28C66>6?E H2D ?646DD2CJ 7@C 2 4@?G:4E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 7656C2= 2AA62=D 4@FCE[ 9@H6G6C[ C6;64E65 3@E9 2C8F>6?ED] %96 ;F586D 2=D@ C6;64E65 5676?D6 4=2:>D @7 ;FC@C >:D4@?5F4E :?G@=G:?8 2==6865 6\>2:=D 5FC:?8 56=:36C2E:@?D]k^Am
kAm$:686=>2?[ =@?8 2 AC@>:?6?E s6>@4C2E 2E E96 p=232>2 $E2E69@FD6[ =@DE 2 3:5 7@C C6\6=64E:@? H96? E96 7656C2= :?G6DE:82E:@? DFC72465 5FC:?8 9:D a__a 42>A2:8?] w6 =@DE 282:? :? a__e H96? 9:D 3:5 7@C E96 s6>@4C2E:4 ?@>:?2E:@? 4@:?4:565 H:E9 9:D 7656C2= 4C:>:?2= EC:2=]k^Am
kAmw6 92D 4=2:>65 9:D AC@D64FE:@? H2D AFD965 3J #6AF3=:42?D[ :?4=F5:?8 7@C>6C (9:E6 w@FD6 A@=:E:42= 25G:D6C z2C= #@G6] r2C66C 7656C2= AC@D64FE@CD 2?5 #@G6[ 9@H6G6C[ 92G6 C6A62E65=J 56?:65 E96 4=2:>]k^Am
kAmu@C>6C }6H *@C< pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= q@3 p3C2>D[ H9@ H2D @?6 @7 h` 7@C>6C DE2E6 2EE@C?6JD 86?6C2= 7:=:?8 2 3C:67 @? $:686=>2?’D 3692=7[ D2:5 E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE D6G6C=J =:>:E65 E96 C6249 @7 E96 9@?6DE D6CG:46D DE2EFE6] ”k^Am
kAmp 42C67F= C6G:6H @7 E96 724ED :? E96 $:686=>2? 42D6 H:== 5:4E2E6 2 5:D>:DD2=[” p3C2>D D2:5]k^Am
kAm$4CFD9J[ H9@ 3F:=E w62=E9$@FE9 :?E@ @?6 @7 E96 ?2E:@?’D =2C86DE C6923:=:E2E:@? 492:?D[ H2D @FDE65 2D rt~ @7 E96 q:C>:?892>\32D65 4@>A2?J 27E6C 2 =@?8\CF??:?8 Sa]f 3:==:@? 244@F?E:?8 7C2F5 2E E96 4@>A2?J H2D 5:D4=@D65] (9:=6 `d 7@C>6C w62=E9$@FE9 6I64FE:G6D A=62565 8F:=EJ 2?5 @?6 H2D 4@?G:4E65[ $4CFD9J H2D 24BF:EE65 @? 4C:>:?2= 7C2F5 492C86D 3J 2 7656C2= 4@FCE ;FCJ :? q:C>:?892> :? a__d]k^Am
kAmw6 H2D 4@?G:4E65 E96 ?6IE J62C :? |@?E8@>6CJ @? D6A2C2E6 8@G6C?>6?E 4@CCFAE:@? 492C86D]k^Am
kAmp 4:G:= 42D6 2=D@ H2D 3C@F89E 282:?DE 9:> 3J w62=E9$@FE9 D92C69@=56CD] p ;F586 :DDF65 2 Sa]h 3:==:@? ;F58>6?E 282:?DE $4CFD9J[ H9@ :D 2AA62=:?8 3FE 92D 925 >F49 @7 9:D AC@A6CEJ[ :?4=F5:?8 2 `_\24C6 6DE2E6[ =2<6 >2?D:@? 2?5 G:?E286 42CD[ D6:K65 2?5 2F4E:@?65 2D A2CE @7 E96 A2J>6?E]k^Am
