Roger Stone to appeal prison sentence, judge’s denial of new trial

Roger Stone’s lawyers told a court on Thursday that they intend to appeal the right-wing political operative’s 40-month prison sentence and a judge’s decision to deny him a new trial.

Stone was convicted in November following a jury trial on charges of lying to Congress and witness tampering in a case that stemmed from his efforts to serve as a back channel between President Trump’s 2016 campaign and WikiLeaks.

After the verdict was pronounced, his lawyers alleged that one of the jurors was biased against Stone because of political beliefs she had voiced on social media. They argued that her bias had prejudiced the jury and was grounds for granting Stone a new trial.

Judge Amy Berman Jackson, an Obama appointee, denied Stone’s motion earlier this month, saying that a juror’s criticisms of the president are not evidence that she was biased against Trump’s former adviser and confidant.

“The assumption underlying the motion – that one can infer from the juror’s opinions about the President that she could not fairly consider the evidence against the defendant – is not supported by any facts or data and it is contrary to controlling legal precedent,” Jackson wrote. “The motion is a tower of indignation, but at the end of the day, there is little of substance holding it up.”

Stone’s notice of appeal came just hours after Trump weighed in on the case again, arguing that his ally did not receive a fair trial.

“Does anybody really believe that Roger Stone, a man whose house was raided early in the morning by 29 gun toting FBI Agents (with Fake News @CNN closely in toe), was treated fairly,” Trump tweeted. “How about the jury forewoman with her unannounced hatred & bias. Same scammers as General Flynn!”

Does anybody really believe that Roger Stone, a man whose house was raided early in the morning by 29 gun toting FBI Agents (with Fake News @CNN closely in toe), was treated fairly. How about the jury forewoman with her unannounced hatred & bias. Same scammers as General Flynn!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 30, 2020