Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen seeks reduction in U.S. prison term

[webfact]

Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen seeks reduction in U.S. prison term

By Mark Hosenball

 

FILE PHOTO: Michael Cohen, U.S. President Donald Trump's former lawyer, leaves his apartment to report to prison in Manhattan, New York, U.S., May 6, 2019. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Michael Cohen, a former lawyer for Donald Trump who became a key witness against the president for House Democrats, is seeking a reduction in his current three-year prison sentence, an attorney for Cohen said on Wednesday.

 

Cohen lawyer Lanny Davis said that Cohen had filed a court motion seeking a reduction in his sentence as credit for his cooperation with investigators looking into various issues related to Trump.

 

Cohen, who once said he would "take a bullet" for Trump, was jailed for arranging payments to pornographic film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal during the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign. Cohen said that Trump directed the payments.

 

"We question whether Attorney General [William] Barr, who thinks his role is to act as President Trump’s personal attorney rather than the attorney for the American people, has interfered and influenced the decision not to credit Mr. Cohen for all his cooperation in bringing the facts out publicly about Mr. Trump’s wrongdoing," Davis said in an email to Reuters.

 

"We also respectfully ask the court to consider the fairness of what appears to be unjust targeting and selective prosecution of only Mr. Cohen, who took responsibility while all others in the Trump Organization, including Mr. Trump himself, have thus far escaped all accountability," Davis added.

 

He said that the deadline for Cohen to request a reduction in his current sentence was Thursday, one year from when his sentence was imposed.

 

Davis said that Cohen was not seeking a specific reduction in his sentence, but rather that he and his lawyers were leaving that "to the discretion and fairness" of a federal judge.

 

Cohen is serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institute in Otisville, New York, about 70 miles (113 km)northwest of New York City.

 

(Reporting by Mark Hosenball; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-12-12

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[soalbundy]

He doesn't like it there?

[worgeordie]

He has only been in five minutes,and wants a reduction in sentence,

regards Worgeordie

[JAG]

56 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

He has only been in five minutes,and wants a reduction in sentence,

regards Worgeordie

Well he has been in nine months - and that is plenty of time to reflect on the reality of "taking a bullet for Donald Trump"! 

 

That reality is that he is in prison whilst Donald Trump, who directed him, is outside, and still President.

 

I also think that he deserves real credit for (unwittingly) giving us an alternative meaning for those gruesome red "M A G A" baseball caps - "My Attorney Got Arrested"; that alone is worth an early release!

[Tug]

I have mixed feelings on this one,he is obviously a creature of trump but he did come clean that counts for something imo

[JHolmesJr]

Funny man Cohen....I think the sentence should be increased.....given his treasonous behaviour towards

the president...who is steadily heading towards total vindication.