Texas state Sen. Carlos Uresti resigns after felony convictions

[TexasTowelie]

By Emma Platoff, Texas Tribune


Finally heeding calls from his colleagues on both sides of the aisle, state Sen. Carlos Uresti announced his resignation Monday, four months after he was found guilty of 11 felonies.

The news comes just over a week before the San Antonio Democrat is set to be sentenced by a federal judge in San Antonio, a penalty experts predict will be eight to 12 years of prison time. He's also scheduled for a trial in October on separate fraud and bribery charges.

“As you know, I am in the process of ensuring that justice is served,” Uresti wrote in a statement Monday. “I need to attend to my personal matters and properly care for my family. So, keeping in mind the best interests of my constituents and my family, I believe it to be most prudent that I step down from my elected office to focus on these important issues.”

Uresti’s sentencing — set for June 26 — will be based on federal guidelines, but judges have discretion to make sentences harsher or more lenient depending on individual circumstances. Resigning public office may help the longtime lawmaker win a lighter punishment, and it may also help his case with federal prosecutors in his October trial.

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2018/06/18/state-sen-carlos-uresti-resigns-days-after-felony-convictions/