Court of appeals won’t let McDonnell stay out of prison while pursuing Supreme Court challenge

[FSogol]

A federal appeals court on Thursday rejected former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell’s request to stay out of prison while he pursues a challenge with the U.S. Supreme Court, effectively initiating the process to put him behind bars.

In a paragraph-long order, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit declined to clarify that a previous ruling granting McDonnell bond would remain in effect while he prepared his petition to the nation’s highest court. The court also refused to delay putting its formal, final stamp on the case.

McDonnell (R) can still ask the Supreme Court to let him keep his freedom while he tries to take the case up the chain, and a spokesman said he would file a petition Thursday making such a request. But unless the Supreme Court intervenes, experts said, the case will get its final, formal stamp in seven days, then be sent back to a lower court judge to pick a date by which the former governor has to report to prison.

The former governor could be jailed within a few months, experts said.

From the Washington Post's Matt Zapotosky
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/court-of-appeals-wont-let-mcdonnell-stay-out-of-prison-while-pursuing-supreme-court-challenge/2015/08/20/4cfc8d74-45b5-11e5-8ab4-c73967a143d3_story.html?wpisrc=nl_buzz

Bob was sentenced to 2 years in prison. "Some experts have said his chances of winning Supreme Court review are slim, and the statistics are against him."

[Gothmog]

1. McDonnell chances of winning on appeal are remote and so he needs to serve his sentence