Menendez lawyers ask judge for leniency in corruption case
Source: Roll Call
Posted January 3, 2025 at 2:13pm
Attorneys for Bob Menendez painted him as a defeated man as they asked a federal court for leniency when sentencing the former senator, who was found guilty last summer on all charges in a sweeping federal corruption case.
As the 71-year-old longtime New Jersey Democrat is set to be sentenced in New York on Jan. 29, Menendez attorneys in a court filing Thursday said the court probation department’s recommended sentence of 12 years in prison “would be draconian — likely a life and death sentence for someone of Bob’s age and condition.”
And even a sentencing guideline range of 21 to 27 months would be “improper,” the attorneys argued, suggesting that the court instead hand down a sentence that relies “heavily on alternatives to incarceration.” The lawyers argued that the court should consider a sentence that is non-custodial, such as home detention and “rigorous community service,” which would best serve the “ends of justice in this case.”
The attorneys said Menendez has “his long-built reputation in tatters,” noting his resignation from Congress, and said that he has “suffered financial and professional ruin.” They also said he is helping his wife, who was also charged in the case, fight a life-threatening cancer diagnosis ahead of her upcoming trial.
Read more: https://rollcall.com/2025/01/03/menendez-lawyers-ask-judge-for-leniency-in-corruption-case/
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