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Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Former N.M. Treasurer Vigil Sentenced to 37 Months
Associated Press
Former state Treasurer Robert Vigil was sentenced Wednesday to 37 months in federal prison.
His sentencing hearing took most of the day, and U.S. District Judge James Browning had said as the afternoon session began that he was considering the 20-year term that he had calculated under federal sentencing guidelines.
That led to an impassioned plea for mercy from Vigil's defense team. Attorney Jason Bowles argued that a 20-year sentence would be too harsh, while lead defense attorney Sam Bregman said Vigil has already suffered enough.
They asked Browning to sentence Vigil to probation only.
A jury convicted Vigil last Sept. 30 on the single charge of attempted extortion, but acquitted him on 23 other extortion and racketeering counts in a sweeping public corruption case. Vigil's first trial last spring ended in a mistrial when one juror held out for acquittal.
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