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.
        )

)
1667979297 
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

 

How Alabama Power kept bills up and opposition out to become one of the most powerful utilities in the country

In one of the poorest states in America, the local utility earns massive profits producing dirty energy with almost no pushback from state regulators.

No more Elmo? APT could cut ties with PBS

The board that oversees Alabama Public Television is considering disaffiliating from PBS, ending a 55-year relationship.

Nonprofit erases millions in medical debt across Gulf South, says it’s ‘Band-Aid’ for real issue

Undue Medical Debt has paid off more than $299 million in medical debts in Alabama. Now, the nonprofit warns that the issue could soon get worse.

Roy Wood Jr. on his father, his son and his new book

Actor, comedian and writer Roy Wood Jr. is out with a new book -- "The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir." He writes about his experience growing up in Birmingham, losing his dad as a teenager and all the lessons he learned from various father figures throughout his career.

Auburn fires coach Hugh Freeze following 12th loss in his last 15 SEC games

The 56-year-old Freeze failed to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three years on the Plains, scoring 24 or fewer points in 17 of his 22 league games. He also ended up on the wrong end of too many close matchups, including twice this season thanks partly to questionable calls.

In a ‘disheartening’ era, the nation’s former top mining regulator speaks out

Joe Pizarchik, who led the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement from 2009 to 2017, says Alabama’s move in the wake of a fatal 2024 home explosion increases risks to residents living atop “gassy” coal mines.

More Front Page Coverage