Wilkes free -- for a night

[cascadiance]

Source: San Diego Union Tribune

June 12, 2008

Brent Wilkes, the Poway defense contractor convicted of bribing for Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, will be let out of jail so he can attend his daughter's high school graduation Thursday night in Poway. He is due back in custody Friday morning.

U.S. District Judge Larry Burns agreed to the unusual request from Wilkes -- outlined in a hand-written letter Wilkes sent Monday to the court -- at a hearing Thursday morning. Wilkes has been in a downtown jail for the past 10 weeks, ever since an appellate court said he could be free on bond while he appeals his convictions. But he has been unable to muster enough collateral to make the bond.

Burns sentenced Wilkes to 12 years in prison in February.

The judge ordered that Wilkes be fitted by U.S. marshals with a GPS tracking device and placed a midnight curfew on him. He also said he had to surrender to the court Friday morning no later than 10 a.m.

...

Read more: http://weblog.signonsandiego.com/news/breaking/2008/06/wilkes_freefor_a_night.html

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GAWD I'm sick of how these Republican SENTENCED criminals treat prison like it's some sort of hotel room! Welcome to the hotel California!

Sheesh Kontogiannis and Foggo want to take vacations in Europe. Now Wilkes, not getting out of prison on bail (AFTER he's been convicted) is still pushing on them to get out for a night! How many other prisoners are treated this way?!! No wonder these guys don't stop committing their crimes!

[superconnected]

1. Since when can you pay bail to get out of prision? I mean obviously he has that option

but isn't that somehow missing the point of being sent to prison?

[TomInTib]

3. He's trying to get out while the conviction is appealed.

I think it is hilarious that he cannot get some of his prior associates to pony up.

[Jackpine Radical]

8. It's common to be released on bail while awaiting appeal.

[ck4829]

2. Did Governor Siegelman get this kind of treatment?

I don't think so.

[midnight]

4. There is another man who is connected to polical prosecution

like Siegelman, but he is still in prison, and his wife is very sick with brain cancer. They won't let him out to visit her. I wish I could remember his name. If anyone knows please post. Thanks.

[cascadiance]

5. Yeah, you're speaking of Bill Minor...

http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/bill_minor_i_hate_to_be_so_blunt

To see his circumstances and how he's locked up unceremoniously, and then contrast that with this case, and these other two cases:

http://www.uniontrib.com/uniontrib/20070918/news_1m18tommyk.html

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5037849&page=1

just makes you want to :puke:

Our system is SO warped now!

[rpannier]

6. Gee... I wonder how many people in prison would like to see their child's graduation???

And out of the thousands that would like to, he's the only one.

Wonder why???

(I think we all know the answer)

[trthnd4jstc]

7. If I were a poor Man, and my Son was graduating, would you let me out to see Him Graduate? n.t.

[jamesinca]

9. Take him to the graduation

Take him in an orange jumpsuit with waist chains and an armed guard. A section of bleachers cleared, for security reasons of course, and let him see the graduation. Oh and put him in the front row so his daughter can see him and be proud.

[cascadiance]

10. Yea, I'd love that and might take off work so I could film a youtube of it!

Since Poway's just down the road from where I work. I still might try to do so, and see if can spot the GPS device around his ankle when filming him. Not sure if they'd let me in though since I don't know anyone graduating there.

[cascadiance]

11. Well a half hour to go now... Will he or won't he skip bail?

No news yet about him returning to prison!