Doug Harris

Lawyers react to Wright verdict

DavidIngram — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:53:49 -0400

Wake District Attorney Colon Willoughby says he wanted to bring Thomas Wright's case full circle.

Speaking to reporters after a jury found the former lawmaker guilty of obstruction of justice, Willoughby was asked how the public benefited from the trial if Wright received no extra prison time.

He replied that Wright's campaign finance irregularities were the original reason investigators started looking into the Wilmington Democrat. Only then did they find other reasons to charge him with fraud, which Wright was convicted of in April.

"I think that was the original reason that these cases came about," Willoughby said of the obstruction of justice charge.

Wright's attorney Doug Harris told reporters that Judge Donald Stephens took away any chance for a "not guilty" verdict.

"It was impossible to win based on the instructions the jury was given," he said.

Harris also renewed his argument that the charge of obstruction of justice didn't fit Wright's crimes related to campaign finances.

"He should have been charged with that misdemeanor, and he should have pleaded guilty to that misdemeanor," Harris said. "You must charge according to what the crime is."

Willoughby called for tougher penalties for campaign finance violations.

Wright's jury looking at felony choice

DavidIngram — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:47:20 -0400

The jury in Thomas Wright's criminal trial needed help with a definition.

"Can we have the definition of 'intent to defraud'?" they asked in a note read aloud by Judge Donald Stephens in Wake Superior Court.

The phrase is not defined in state law, Stephens told lawyers in the case, so the judge had to crack open Black's Law Dictionary and fashion its entry to fit the Wilmington Democrat's case.

Stephens told jurors that the phrase means "to deceive another person" and to induce that person "to give up something or to forgo something." In Wright's case, he said, the "something" is the proper enforcement of campaign finance laws.

Wright's lawyer Doug Harris objected to mentioning campaign finance laws because "it effectively instructs the jury how to apply it to the case." Stephens replied that he wanted to avoid confusing the jury.

Stephens included the phrase "intent to defraud" as an element in felony obstruction of justice, one of three possible findings for jurors. It is not an element in misdemeanor obstruction of justice.

The jury resumed deliberations at 9:45 a.m. Wednesday.

Wright trial heads to closing arguments

DavidIngram — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:29:19 -0400

Both the prosecution and the defense have rested in Thomas Wright's second criminal trial.

Closing arguments are set to begin Tuesday afternoon in Wake Superior Court, to be followed by instructions to the jury and jury deliberations.

The Wilmington Democrat and former House member is charged with obstruction of justice for failing to disclose more than $100,000 in campaign contributions. A conviction could add at least four months to his prison sentence on three fraud convictions.

Wright's attorney Doug Harris presented no evidence. He told reporters Monday after court that he had seen nothing from prosecutors he wanted to respond to.

Wake District Attorney Colon Willoughby called four witnesses: two investigators and two people from Wilmington who had worked with Wright's campaign finances.

Following the testimony, Judge Donald Stephens ruled against a motion by Harris to dismiss the case.

Elections official: Wright cashed check

bniolet — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:38:10 -0400

A Wake County jury heard evidence Tuesday that former state Rep. Thomas Wright secretly transferred tens of thousands of dollars from his campaign accounts to himself over several years.

Wake County District Attorney Colon Willoughby introduced into evidence several charts detailing the Wilmington Democrat's campaign transactions, David Ingram reports.

One chart showed that 91 percent of the transfers Wright made to himself were not disclosed on campaign finance reports. Wright is charged with obstruction of justice for what prosecutors say was his failure to disclose more than $100,000 in campaign contributions.

Kim Strach, deputy director of the State Board of Elections, testified that in one case Wright simply cashed a check from a political action committee for himself. She added that he has yet to file any amendments to his campaign finance reports.

Under from cross examination by Wright's attorney, Doug Harris of Greensboro, Strach agreed that Wright did not take any steps to obstruct her investigation other than once providing an incorrect name for his campaign treasurer.

Harris told the jury in his opening statement that Wright's behavior doesn't fit the charge.

In April, a jury convicted Wright in Wake Superior Court on three separate charges related to financial improprieties. He is due to be released in May 2015, though a conviction for obstruction of justice could add at least four months to his sentence.

Wright jury hears from SBI agent

bniolet — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:01:59 -0400

Testimony has begun in the obstruction of justice trial of former state Rep. Thomas Wright.

Prosecutors called as their first witness State Bureau of Investigation agent Johnnie Umphlet, who began investigating Wright in May 2007. Umphlet testified about campaign finance reports that Wright has filed since 2000.

Also Monday afternoon jurors heard brief opening statements from Wake County District Attorney Colon Willoughby and Wright's attorney, Doug Harris.

Willoughby said he will call on jurors to determine that Wright's failure to disclose campaign contributions deprived the public of information about the Wilmington Democrat's campaign dealings.

Harris asked jurors to question whether Wright's conduct is even a crime.

Wright jury selection begins

bniolet — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:49:52 -0400

Jury selection has begun in the second criminal trial of former state Rep. Thomas Wright.

The Wilmington Democrat is charged with obstruction of justice for failing to disclose more than $100,000 in campaign contributions, David Ingram reports. He was convicted in April of three separate charges related to financial improprieties.

A former top ally of then House Speaker Jim Black, Wright was once among the most powerful members of the House.

Judge Donald Stephens on Monday denied a motion from Wright's lawyer to dismiss the obstruction of justice charge. Wright's lawyer Doug Harris of Greensboro had argued that obstruction of justice must involve an inquiry by investigators in the criminal justice system. But Stephens ruled that the charge can cover the state Board of Elections' campaign finance requirements.

Opening statements could start as early as today.

Wright sentenced to five to eight years

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:19:38 -0400

A Wake Superior Court judge today sentenced former Rep. Thomas Wright to 70 to 95 months in prison after his conviction on three felony counts of fraud.

Wright was kicked out of the state House last month because of allegations that he used his political sway to obtain a bogus letter from a state official to get a $150,000 bank loan, Sarah Ovaska reports.

Wake prosecutors also accused him of pocketing three charitable contributions, totaling $8,900.

Jurors convicted him of fraudulently taking the loan and $7,400 in charitable conditions. They acquitted him of one fraud count.

Before the sentencing, Wright's attorney, Doug Harris, blamed the verdict on the publicity surrounding the case.

"They were prejudiced coming in," Harris said about the jurors.

Harris gave notice that he would appeal Wright's conviction and predicted that the jury's decision would be overturned.

Wright was sentenced by Judge Henry Hight, who presided over the trial.

Correction: An earlier version of this post stated that Wright was led away in handcuffs. That is inaccurate.

Jury selection begins in Wright trial

bkrueger — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:56:03 -0400

Jury selection has begun in the criminal trial of former state Rep. Thomas Wright.

Wright, a Wilmington Democrat, faces charges that he used a health foundation to solicit charitable contributions and to secure a $150,000 bank loan and then pocketed the money, reports David Ingram of The Charlotte Observer.

Judge Henry Hight of Wake Superior Court ruled this morning that media coverage of Wright's case - and of his expulsion from the N.C. House this month - should not prevent the trial from moving forward.

Wright's attorney Doug Harris had argued that potential jurors "would almost have to be living in a cave" not to be aware of the case and asked for a delay of two or three months. "This is all very fresh in the prospective jurors' minds," he said.

Wake District Attorney Colon Willoughby disagreed.

"I don't think this case has nearly the public interest that Mr. Harris suggests," he said.

Tom and Jim

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:13:50 -0500

Tom and Jim

"This is a Jim Crow proceeding."

— Doug Harris, attorney for state Rep. Thomas Wright, arguing that expulsion hearings against him are unfair and racist. Quoted on March 3, 2008.

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Wright trial delayed

bkrueger — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:12:26 -0500

Indicted state Rep. Thomas Wright won't have to stand trial next week as scheduled after a Wake County judge granted a delay this morning.

Superior Court Judge Henry Hight agreed to a request by Wright's lawyer, Doug Harris of Greensboro, to postpone the trial so that Harris can examine the 7,000 to 8,000 pages of evidence prosecutors provided several weeks ago, reports Mark Johnson of The Charlotte Observer.

"We would not have had reasonable time to prepare," Harris said after the ruling. "You can't just glance at" the documents.

A new trial date was not set, but Harris suggested mid-April on the five felony counts of obtaining property by false pretenses that involved transactions allegedly intended to benefit a non-profit foundation butinstead benefited Wright.

Harris said it would be much later before he could defend against the felony count of obstruction of justice for pocketing more than $185,000 in campaign contributions.