5th Circuit Court rejects Nagin’s appeal

A 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel on Thursday rejected former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin’s appeal for a new trial, calling arguments for a new trial “meritless.” The panel also dismissed the former mayor’s contention that the lower court illegally sentenced him to forfeit more than $500,000 of his personal money, Nola.com reported.

Nagin was convicted in 2014 on a host of federal charges and is serving out a 10-year sentence in federal prison in Texarkana, Texas.

Nagin, a former businessman who ran on a platform of streamling city government and rooting out public corruption, was convicted on 20 charges of wire fraud, bribery, money laundering and filing false tax returns.

He was the first New Orleans mayor sent to federal prison on corruption charges. The 59-year-old former mayor is scheduled to be released from prison on May 25, 2023, just before his 67th birthday.

While there is a possibility of him being released early on good behavior, federal prisoners are required to serve at least 80 percent of their sentences.

Shaun Clarke, a Houston-based white-collar defense attorney, told Nola.com that Nagin still has the options of seeking a rehearing of the appeal from the same three-judge panel, seeking a review from the full 5th Circuit U.S. Court panel or requesting a review from the U.S. Supreme Court.

This article originally published in the January 11, 2016 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.