The US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is currently reviewing the case of Mississippi attorney Paul Minor – convicted of bribery and mail fraud charges – has requested that the federal government provide supporting materials to explain its basis for becoming involved in the Minor case.
That involvement was based on a contention that state judges are “agents” of the Administrative Office of the Courts, which receives federal funds, thereby placing them under the legal jurisdiction of the federal government.
The specific question raised by the court of appeals is what jurisdiction the federal government had in bringing charges twice against Minor and Judges Wes Teel and John Whitfield. Former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice, Oliver E. Diaz Jr., was also indicted twice, but was acquitted both times.
Under the bribery statute used to indict Minor, Teel, Whitfield and Diaz - “18 U.S.C, 666 - the person carrying out the alleged crime must be “an agent of an organization, or of a State, local, or Indian tribal government, or any agency thereof.”
Read on.
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