Parish granted legal aid
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Incarcerated economist Al Parish's appeal of his 24-year prison sentenced has been assigned to the federal public defender for South Carolina.
Parish recently filed papers with the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals asking the court system to help with his legal costs and needs. The approval, confirmed this week, means he is getting public legal representation, as would anyone who is considered indigent.
Parish, a former economist at Charleston Southern University, was sentenced in June to spend 24 years in federal prison for an investment scheme in which nearly 600 investors were defrauded of $66 million.
His legal team has suggested that the sentence was too extreme, contending that a term in the six-year range is more appropriate.
Previously, his legal expenses had been largely paid for by family. His prior criminal defense attorney, Andy Savage of Charleston, asked to be removed from the case.
An order from the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., puts the Parish appeal case with the public defender's office in South Carolina. It could be months before there is any movement in the case.
Parish is serving his sentence at the Butner federal prison facility in North Carolina.
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Comments
captivated (anonymous) says...
"It could be months before there is any movement in the case". Yeah, how about 288 months.
August 28, 2008 at 7:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
southerngirl45 (anonymous) says...
A "riches to rags"story uh? I still say that fat a** has money somewhere out of this country and it is my feeling that Mrs.fat a** knows where it is.The interesting thing is "big shot" Andy won't help him now that he's broke of course.Justice has been served and personally I hope it stays that way.I sincerely hope that the people he swindled are somehow getting their lives back.Just alwys remember-"If it sounds too good to be true it usually is"!
August 28, 2008 at 8:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JDHawg (anonymous) says...
I hope his whole appeal back fires on him and he is sentenced to more time then he already received.
August 28, 2008 at 9:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
southerngirl45 (anonymous) says...
JDHawg,AMEN!
August 28, 2008 at 10:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
carolinagal (anonymous) says...
WTF? Free legal council????
You have got to be kidding me.
August 28, 2008 at 12:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Riptide (anonymous) says...
I haven't follow this story all that closely and I'm not sure if this guy was an idiot or a smart crook. Since he was a professor of economics he had a few more brain cells than the rest of us. That being the case he must have given some thought to what he was doing and could not possibly get away with it unless he had a plan. Did the authorities ever account for all the money? There must a lot ways to hide money. One can purchase a million dollars worth of platinum coins and you're only looking at 44lbs or so. I wonder if he's got that money buried somewhere? I wonder if his wife knows where it's buried. I wonder if he is sweating it knowing that his wife knows where it is buried? Oh well.
August 28, 2008 at 5:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
princessmango (anonymous) says...
you have got to be kidding me! now the taxpayers are going to have to pay for his defense?????? is there no justice in this world?!?!?!?!?
notice to southern girl: some of those people he swindled died from the stress. they'll never get their lives back.
August 28, 2008 at 8:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
southerngirl45 (anonymous) says...
Sorry, I didn't know that others had died because of that big piece of s***.In that case I think they should bring his big fat a** up on murder charges.Wonder if anyone has thought of that.I knew that one woman had died because of him.It was very upsetting to read the article.Now all of us taxpayers have to pay his legal fees.All that money he swindled out of innocent people is gone, (MAYBE)and am I wrong,or are they going to have to pay again for his legal fees through taxpayers dollars.?Well Andy looks like he will be getting some of your fees back in a round about way.
August 28, 2008 at 9:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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