Guru
September 27th, 2008, 07:17 PM
http://www.natchezsun.com/NatchezNews.htm
The Louisiana Supreme Court has requested a tape of the recent hearing of convicted cocaine dealer James Skipper of Ferriday. Judge Leo Boothe reduced Skipper’s sentence from 25 to 12 years based on the recommendation of outgoing District Attorney John Johnson. The high court may also investigate allegations that District Judge Kathy Johnson gave some behind-the-scenes advice to Skipper on how to get his sentence reduced. Tape recordings of Skipper on a prison telephone indicate Judge Johnson may have acted improperly. She responded saying the allegations were untrue and threatened to sue the district attorney for defamation of character, who made the allegations public in Skipper’s sentence reduction hearing.
The Louisiana Supreme Court has requested a tape of the recent hearing of convicted cocaine dealer James Skipper of Ferriday. Judge Leo Boothe reduced Skipper’s sentence from 25 to 12 years based on the recommendation of outgoing District Attorney John Johnson. The high court may also investigate allegations that District Judge Kathy Johnson gave some behind-the-scenes advice to Skipper on how to get his sentence reduced. Tape recordings of Skipper on a prison telephone indicate Judge Johnson may have acted improperly. She responded saying the allegations were untrue and threatened to sue the district attorney for defamation of character, who made the allegations public in Skipper’s sentence reduction hearing.