William Jefferson's attorneys argue for shorter sentence
by Jonathan Tilove - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

Former Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, should get a prison term of less than 10 years when he faces sentencing Friday in his federal bribery convictions, his attorneys said in a 95-page filing today. Prosecutors in the case last week recommended a sentence of between 27 and 33 years. But Jefferson's legal team, led by Washington attorney Robert Trout, argued the government recommendation is out of whack with previous sentences for congressional corruption and unmindful of much that was praiseworthy in Jefferson's life and career. "The law requires the court to impose a sentence that is in keeping with sentences imposed upon individuals with similar records, who have been found guilty of similar conduct and no court has ever imposed a sentence longer than 100 months in a case involving a United States Congressman, even a United States Congressman convicted of bribery after a trial," the memorandum argues.