A federal judge has reduced former state representative Michael Decker's prison sentence from 48 to 36 months, which could result in him being sent to a halfway house.
In an order signed Friday, U.S. District Court Judge James C. Dever III cited Decker's help in the federal prosecution and conviction of Jim Black, the former speaker of the N.C. House of Representatives, the Winston-Salem Journal reports.
"Indeed, but for Decker's cooperation, Black might still be in office," Dever, wrote in the order.
Decker, of Walkertown, is now being held at a low-security prison near the South Carolina-Georgia border.
The reduced sentence means that he may be eligible to leave prison within the next month, said his attorney, David Freedman.
In Friday's order, Dever acknowledged Decker's cooperation but could not "ignore the serious nature of Decker's crime."
"I'm assuming the judge said, ‘Black's case is finally finished. Decker doesn't need to provide any more information,'" he said.
Decker admitted that in late 2002 and early 2003, he asked Black for $50,000 to support Black's bid to remain co-speaker of the house.
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Re: Decker's sentence reduced
"You kind of left out the fact that Decker was a Republican who switched parties for money."
If Decker had been a Republican at the time of his sentencing, he would have probably gotten the electric chair or life without parole.
I know he's happy that he switched over to the Democratic Party. Freedom is just around the corner. It looks like the courts understand that when Democrats break the law that they really are only bending the rules a little in order to "help the people, save the schools and stand up for education."
All these guys who cross the line have good intentions. They have good hearts. They were good children.