ST. LOUIS — Three former St. Louis aldermen have made the case for why they should not get jail time days after photos were released of them taking thousands of dollars in bribes.
Former Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed and former alderman Jeffrey Boyd pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in exchange for voting favorably on legislation authorizing tax breaks on property owned by that informant.
Former alderman John Collins-Muhammad pleaded guilty to charges of bribery, racketeering and wire fraud.
Memorandums obtained by 5 On Your Side paint the picture of good family men pleading for another chance.
Jeffrey Boyd's memorandum read, "these were 'isolated incidents, the loss amount was very small, and that he had no criminal history.'"
The document also states, "he can be heard telling the FBI informant paying him the money was not necessary."
Lewis Reed's attorney argues that he poses "no danger to the public, is highly unlikely to re-offend, and that the higher punishment won't stop others from doing the same thing in the future."
Meanwhile, John Collins Muhammad's counsel said they believe community service is appropriate because they would allow him to "utilize his best talents to assist others in need."
Anders Walker, a law professor at St. Louis University, noted the men and their attorneys have a goal to convince the judge that jail time is not warranted.
“In this case, it wouldn't serve any real retributive, utilitarian goals, these individuals may have already suffered quite a bit of public shaming so sending them to prison makes no sense,” Walker said.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office suggests a range of 37 to 46 months behind bars for Muhammad and Reed, and 30 to 37 for Boyd.
“These are not considered serious violent felonies. In this case in particular, it's not a lot of money that we're talking about so what exactly is prison going to do? Have the public been harmed?" Walker questioned.
Walker said that whatever happens in court would send a message to all elected officials.
“The feds are looking at what they are doing, and they need to stay up on the right side of the law,” he said.
The judge will have an opportunity to read through these documents.
Sentencing hearings for Boyd, Reed, and Collins-Muhammad are scheduled for Dec. 6.
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