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Court upholds sentence for Ala. police officer By the Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) -- A federal appeals court has upheld the conviction and 10-month sentence of an Alabama police officer for lying about a prisoner injured during arrest. A federal judge sentenced Jason Hardy Hunt, who was a narcotics detective in Prichard, Ala., to five months in prison and five months home detention. James Woodard became agitated and argued with officers March 22, 2005 when he was detained, searched and then released. Officers tried to arrest him after he cursed and threatened them, and Hunt threw Woodard to the pavement, injuring his head. Hunt reported that Woodard grabbed him first, and repeated the falsehood to an FBI agent almost a year later. On appeal, Hunt said the evidence was insufficient to convict him of deliberate falsehood and that the 10-month sentence was excessive. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed in an opinion filed Monday. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Neither these AP material nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use. AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |