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| What if Hasie Is Innocent? By: James Clark Did the feds nail the wrong guy for bank fraud? Should Monte Hasie’s conviction be thrown out on the basis that this one-time community leader is innocent? Monte Hasie was once a Lubbock School board member, a State Board of Education member, a viable candidate for state Senate, and the local Vice President for Paine Webber. Hasie is none of those things now. He was convicted by a jury of his peers last summer of Bank Fraud. There’s just one problem. He might not have done it. Hasie’s lawyers filed lengthy court documents yesterday making the argument that he should be cleared of all charges. Montie Hasie’s lawyer goes so far as to say Hasie is un-mistakably innocent. Hasie’s lawyer quotes the testimony of the prosecution’s star witness as saying Hasie had no idea what was going on in a scheme that cost State National Bank more than two million dollars. Rick and Frank Thompson had stock in Proctor & Gamble that they pledged as collateral on a bank loan. They sold that stock without the bank’s permission and ultimately they defaulted on the loan. Bank Vice President Tom Darden was also convicted for his role. Hasie was convicted because he was the stock broker on the account. The government argues that Hasie knew what was going on all along and sold the stock anyway. But Court documents say even by the account of prosecution witnesses Hasie had no idea how much the Thompsons owed the bank or that there was any illegal scheme. Hasie’s lawyer writes that the prosecution’s case is based on nothing more than the presumption that Hasie is guilty… and in this country the feds cannot just presume you into prison. The judge in this case is Sam Cummings. Known by Lubbock area lawyers as “Maximum Sam” for his draconian approach toward sentencing criminal defendants, Judge Cummings has brought the entire case to a screeching halt… a profound development. What’s even more profound is that the judge is actually considering overturning a jury verdict… and not just considering it but seriously considering it. None of the four defendants have been sentenced yet… not until the matter of Hasie’s guilt or innocence is decided once and for all. Expanded Coverage on the Web Hasie's defense pulls no punches. In the document filed yesterday his lawyer argues, “Having previously proved and conceded facts that establish Hasie’s innocence, the government now asks this Court to disregard the testimony of its star witness, who exculpated Monte Hasie, and ignore its numerous concessions which mandate his acquittal. Instead, it proceeds on the pure assumption, aided by obfuscation, that Hasie was guilty from day one.” To read the entire document use the link inside the white box to the upper left of this story. Story Posted: Fri Mar 3 06:00:00 CST 2006 Created: Fri Mar 3 04:20:56 CST 2006 BACK TO HOME/NEWS Top Story • Lubbock tax bill going up Lubbock News & Lbk County • Tech fans face parking challenges • Seat belts required in school buses • Apartment fire injures one Weather • Thursday Forecast Business • AM Business Notebook Around Texas • Cornyn Comments On Obama's Iraq War Remarks • Fire Warning For Hunters As Dove Season Kicks Off • Boy Dies Of Rare Infection From Water • Austin Headlines • Dallas Headlines • Houston Headlines • San Antonio Headlines Swap Shop • Swap Shop Update This Day In History • Today Marks Formal End Of World War Two • Today In History Birthdays • Today's Birthdays Entertainment • Tonight's TV Off Beat News Of The Day • Middle School Student Arrested Over Facebook Threats Health Beat • New North American Lutheran Church Launched • New Study Doesn't Bode Well For Abbott Diet Drug Religion Today • New North American Lutheran Church Launched • Al-Qaeda Leader Calls For Killing Christians Sports • Sports Shorts |
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