House Speaker Mike Hubbard Sentenced to Four Years in Prison

| July 8, 2016 

 ========= Old Image Removed =========1Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2016/06/ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1920;s:6:"height";i:1280;s:4:"file";s:74:"2016/06/ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:13:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:74:"ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f-336x224.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:224;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:74:"ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f-771x514.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:514;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:74:"ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:74:"ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f-768x512.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:512;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"1536x1536";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:76:"ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f-1536x1024.jpg";s:5:"width";i:1536;s:6:"height";i:1024;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:72:"ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:74:"ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:74:"ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:74:"ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f-467x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:467;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:74:"ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f-398x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:398;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:74:"ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:74:"ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:74:"ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:1709062;s:14:"optimized_size";i:210803;s:7:"percent";d:87.670000000000002;}s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:102:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/06/ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:1510485;s:14:"optimized_size";i:84289;s:7:"percent";d:94.420000000000002;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:110:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/06/ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f-140x140.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:6594;s:14:"optimized_size";i:4850;s:7:"percent";d:26.449999999999999;}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:110:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/06/ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f-336x224.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:17200;s:14:"optimized_size";i:11718;s:7:"percent";d:31.870000000000001;}s:5:"large";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:110:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/06/ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f-771x514.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:61565;s:14:"optimized_size";i:36126;s:7:"percent";d:41.32;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:110:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/06/ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f-600x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:37510;s:14:"optimized_size";i:23580;s:7:"percent";d:37.140000000000001;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:110:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/06/ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:19268;s:14:"optimized_size";i:12946;s:7:"percent";d:32.810000000000002;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:110:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/06/ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f-467x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:28387;s:14:"optimized_size";i:17986;s:7:"percent";d:36.640000000000001;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:110:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/06/ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f-398x265.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:22398;s:14:"optimized_size";i:15170;s:7:"percent";d:32.270000000000003;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:110:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/06/ap_679197730954_slide-edc6546b00ece6550897e5791531d43c54ddb54f-125x125.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:5655;s:14:"optimized_size";i:4138;s:7:"percent";d:26.829999999999998;}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Todd J. Van Emst
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => Opelika-Auburn News/Pool
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_wp_attachment_image_alt] => Array
        (
            [0] => Mike Hubbard looks at family and friends sitting in the courtroom as deputies wait to take Hubbard into custody on Friday, June 10, 2016, in Opelika, Ala.
        )

)
1663069635 
1467983524
Mike Hubbard looks at family and friends sitting in the courtroom as deputies wait to take Hubbard into custody on Friday, June 10, 2016, in Opelika, Ala.

Mike Hubbard looks at family and friends sitting in the courtroom as deputies wait to take Hubbard into custody on Friday, June 10, 2016, in Opelika, Ala.

Todd J. Van Emst, Opelika-Auburn News/Pool

Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard has been sentenced to four years in prison for breaking the state’s ethics law. A judge in Lee County sentenced Hubbard Friday.

In June, a jury convicted Hubbard on 12 felony ethics counts for using his public positions as House Speaker and Alabama Republican Party Chairman to solicit jobs and investments for his business.

Al.com reports Hubbard would also serve 8 years on probation and pay $210,000 in fines. He will not pay restitution.

The sentence is less than the five years of prison time prosecutors wanted. Hubbard’s defense lawyer Bill Baxley called the suggested sentence “ridiculously extreme.” Baxley says Hubbard will appeal his conviction.

Additional reporting by the Associated Press

 

Megachurch leader and his mother indicted on sex trafficking and racketeering charges

Prosecutors claim the family that has long led La Luz del Mundo — or Light of the World — church committed sexual abuse across generations. An accuser compares the church leadership to the mafia.

Anti-Israel protests turn Spanish Vuelta cycling race into a diplomatic battleground

Protests targeting an Israeli-owned team have seized the limelight at Spain's version of the Tour de France. The team under fire issued a statement saying that quitting the race is out of the question.

The California redistricting measure cites Texas, highlighting the partisan stakes

A ballot measure in California will ask voters if they OK a new congressional map. In a sign of how rare the proposal is, it specifically cites Texas Republicans' new districts in the measure's title.

Why parents need to talk to their teens about AI — and how to start the conversation

Many teens are using artificial intelligence chatbots like ChatGPT for everything from homework to relationship advice. Experts say parents must lead the way in helping them understand the technology.

Does adding football help colleges with recruiting? It’s complicated

Some colleges, seeking to attract more male students, are adding the sport. Research suggests the gains may be short-lived.

People are losing jobs due to social media posts about Charlie Kirk

Some GOP officials want to clamp down on perceived expressions of schadenfreude about Charlie Kirk's death. Conservative activists are publicizing social media posts that are "celebrating" his death.

More Front Page Coverage