Geddings in court
Former lottery commissioner Kevin Geddings is getting sentenced in Federal Court this morning. We'll post a bulletin on our front page once the sentence is announced. Click here to read the judge's pre-sentencing order, which doesn't have a lot of comforting things to say if you're the defendant.
Play nice amongst yourselves until I get back.
Update (noon): There's a recess until 1:15 p.m. in the Geddings sentencing hearing.
So far, Judge Dever has not issued any of the brimstone from on high that he rained down upon former Rep. Michael Decker throughout his stentencing, but that may be yet to come.
A couple of interesting points from this morning's proceedings:
- In addition to his regular counsel for the case, Geddings has sitting with him a couple of lawyers who apparently specialize in the sentencing. One of those two is Abraham Abramovsky, a faculty member at Fordham Law School.
- Abramovsky told the court that Geddings has an adopted son with both autism and Tourette Syndrome. Geddings' wife, he said, would face a hardship carrying for that child, now 13-years-old, alone.
Dever has rejected that argument in establishing sentencing guidelines, but could consider it later in the proceedings.
- Geddings was given the chance to speak. He sounded sad if not remorseful.
"I never intended - I know what was in my heart - I never indented to steer that contract to Scientific Games or do any such," he said, breaking off his sentence.
Basically, Geddings said that he made a mistake but didn't set out to deceive anyone and that he simply made a mistake when filling out his ethics form.
- Prosecutors weren't buying.
"The defendant is missing the point. This wasn't about a misstatement on a form," said Dennis Duffy, a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's office. Geddings, he said, engaged in a pattern of behavior designed to high his relationship with Scientific Games.
"The fact the defendant won't even look the court in the eyes and admit what he did speaks volumes," Duffy said.
As things stand now, Geddings is facing 33 to 41 months, but Dever has the right to bump that up or down, depending.
Update: If you haven't seen already, Geddings was sentenced to 48 months (four years) in jail and a $25,000 fine.
Dever was more subdued in his tone, if not his actual words, in delivering Geddings' sentence. In sentencing Geddings, Dever said that he pushed up the sentence to 48 months from 41 months because of two key factors:
- As a deterrent to future public officials who might be inclined to do something similar.
- Because of the damage done to the lottery itself, which Dever said took a knock in public confidence because of Geddings' actions.
Update: Abramovsky says Geddings will appeal both his setencing and his conviction.
"I think he did appologize, in his own way he did appologize," Abramovsky said.
Update: "Kevin Geddings is going to prison for 48 months. This is a strong signal that North Carolinians expect clean government," said U.S. Attorney George Holding.
In response to a question: "It was about a scheme to hide his ties to Scientific Games, to get on that lottery commission, to get the power of being a commissioner and then do something illegal with it ... It's clearly more than a mistake on a form or a simple conflict of interest."
Geddings left the courthouse without talking to reporters.