Phone jammer is free pending appeal

CONCORD, N.H. — A federal appeals court has allowed James Tobin, who was sentenced to 10 months in prison for his role in an Election Day phone-jamming plot against New Hampshire Democrats, to remain free until his appeal is decided. Tobin, 45, of Bangor, a former regional chairman of President Bush's re-election campaign, was convicted in December of two felony telephone harassment charges in the November 2002 phone-jamming case. That election involved a hotly contested U.S. Senate race between then-Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, and Republican John Sununu. Sununu won by about 20,000 votes.

Tobin was scheduled to start his prison sentence Friday. U.S. District Judge Steven McAuliffe had denied a motion to stay Tobin's sentence until his appeal had been decided, saying he didn't believe the appeal presented "a substantial question of law or fact" likely to result in reversal, a new trial or a reduced sentence.

Earlier this month, Tobin's lawyers appealed his conviction to the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston. They also asked the court to allow him to remain free pending his appeal, saying that the government never challenged that Tobin isn't likely to flee or pose a danger to others.

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/060620phonejam.shtml

Crap!!!

Can't just let that 2.8 million go to complete waste.

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/000382.php

if he's simply out running around loose, this paragon of virtue who was _Bush's New England Presidential Campaign Chairman. Maybe he'll get one of those dandy anthrax letters, or even appear to have killed himself, like Enron's Baxter did the night before he was due to testify in court.



To add a little drama, Democrats in the area should try to curry Tobin's friendship, and take the guy out on the town, get him loaded, and see if he wants to spill his guts concerning what he and his accomplices did to steal that election.

Hate Democracy?