Larry Langford found guilty on all 60 counts -- updated
By Birmingham News
October 28, 2009, 4:31PM

Larry Langford, Birmingham's mayor and a former Jefferson County commissioner, has been found guilty in his federal bribery trial.

Langford, who is 61 or 63, was found guilty of taking about $236,000 in cash and gifts from Montgomery investment banker Bill Blount and lobbyist Al LaPierre.

Both pleaded guilty in the case and testified they made cash payments to Langford while he was the president of the Jefferson County Commission to ensure business for Blount's investment bank, Blount Parrish & Co.

"We all have our trials, this too will pass," Langford said as he walked from the courtroom followed closely by his wife.

"The citizens of Birmingham have been fantastic to me," he said outside the courthouse.

He said the verdict will be appealed. "I'm no crybaby, but ..."

"At the end of the day, I shot my best shot, but the jury ruled the way that they did," he said, in a wide-ranging press conference outside court.

"All this trial did was interrupt my Bible study classes for two weeks," he said, adding he faces a potential sentence of 805 years. He said if he lived to be 80, he would have to die and "come back 10 more times" to serve such a sentence.

Judge Scott Coogler decided Langford would forfeit $241,843.

He ordered a sentencing report within 90 to 120 days and said Langford would remain free until then on the existing $50,000 unsecured bond.

Birmingham City Council President Carole Smitherman is now mayor of Alabama's largest city. (Corrected: A swearing in is not required)

Other elected leaders were quick to react.

"I hate it to the high heavens for him and his family. It's just devastating," Rep. John Rogers, D-Birmingham, said. "He's a good man. He's got flaws. We've all got flaws. Sometimes when you've got flaws people prey on your weakness. I think it sends a lesson to all public officials to be very, very careful," Rogers said.

"They (the jury) must have had their mind already made up," Rogers said.

State Rep. Oliver Robinson, D-Birmingham, said he's known Langford for many years and that he's a good-hearted person.
''Larry is really a good-hearted man,'' Robinson said. ''I've always had a great deal of respect for him. He's just a genuinely nice individual. I really feel sad for his family, his wife and all of his family.''

Gov. Bob Riley, in a prepared statement: "These kind of convictions don't have to happen," he said. "We must finally pass anti-corruption laws that will bring accountability and transparency to state and local governments so we can prevent this very kind of situation."

I thought you were from Lee Co.

quote:

Originally posted by nixdad:
"All this trial did was interrupt my Bible study classes for two weeks," he said, adding he faces a potential sentence of 805 years.

Haaahaahh! It's amazing how often these guys get caught with their pants down and say that their Bible study got interrupted. Those must be some interesting Bible studies - too bad he didn't learn anything.