Former speaker Mike Hubbard sentenced

Former speaker Mike Hubbard sentenced
Mike Hubbard Sentenced
Lee County Courthouse in Opelika where earlier today, Circuit Judge Jacob Walker handed down the sentencing

By Tyler Pruett, Managing Editor

tyler@southerntorch.com

OPELIKA, Ala. — Earlier today, Former Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard was sentenced on 12 felony charges in violation of the state’s ethics laws. Hubbard was convicted  on June 10 by an Opelika jury.

Circuit Judge Jacob Walker handed down sentencing after a hearing in the Lee County Courthouse. Hubbard was sentenced to four years in jail and eight years probation, accompanied by a fine of $210,000.

Judge Walker read the sentence to each charge aloud in the packed courtroom. Each sentence was split between two years incarceration and eight years probation. The probation and jail time for 11 of the charges will be served concurrently, meaning the two years spent in jail will count as time served for 11 of the 12 charges.

Judge Walker ordered one charge to be served consecutively, meaning that Hubbard will be behind bars for another two years after serving the first couple, giving him a four year jail sentence.

Prosecutors reportedly demanded a total of five years and a maximum fine of $360,000, but the judge opted for slightly less than the maximum fine and a shorter sentence.

Sentencing was announced after the defense presented character witnesses. The most notable witness to speak on Hubbard behalf was U.S. Congressman Mike Rogers (R-AL 3rd District). Rogers had spoke up in Hubbard’s defense since the charges were announced in 2014.

Also speaking on Hubbard’s behalf were Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller, Methodist minister George Mathison and Auburn City Councilman Gene Dulaney.

According to the Montgomery Advertiser, Hubbard’s defense attorney Bill Baxley has already filed a motion seeking an investigation into potential juror misconduct. The motion was filed based on an affidavit by one of the jurors.

Hubbard was one of the state’s most powerful politicians, overseeing the Republican takeover of the Alabama House of Representatives back in 2010. The speaker’s charges stem from using his political office to solicit $1.1 million in contributions for his privately owned businesses and accepting contributions from clients to sway votes on key issues.