Larry Langford found guilty on all counts; no longer Birmingham’s mayor
Published: October 28, 2009
Updated: October 28, 2009
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) - A jury has convicted Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford on federal charges of accepting bribes, automatically removing him from office.
He was convicted Wednesday of all the counts he faced for accepting cash and luxury items worth about $236,000 while serving as president of the Jefferson County Commission. In exchange, he funneled $7.1 million in bond business to a prominent investment banker.
Langford showed no emotion when the verdict was read.
With the felony conviction, he was automatically removed from the office that he won in a landslide in 2007.
Some of the bond deals made during Langford’s term went sour in the credit crunch last year, and Jefferson County is now trying to avoid filing the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history over $3.9 billion in sewer bond debt.
Reader Reactions
This is a barbaric system of Justice! Noone deserves to be jailed 804 years, when they have not killed a soul. Why would a sentence of 804 years be imposed when our lives do not extend that far. This is indicative of a very sick and heinously hiddeous mindset to have sentencing guidelines with such idiotic destinations known not to be reachable. A 236,000 dollar crime(if he did it) does not warrant a sentence laced with that much stupidity. It is a known fact in this country, that if a jury said it, does not make it so. You found O.J guilty after he was proven innoncent by a jury. You said Rodney King was resisting arrest when the WHOLE WORLD saw him being unmercifully beaten. You let Cherry go until it was time for him to die, and you murdered 23 year old Frederick Jackon in 1993 in his jail cell in Pleasant Grove, and you said he committed suicide; You got klansmen as your judges meting out klan justice, and you sentence Atif Mitchell to a life sentence when you knew he was not the shooter, you disbarred a lawyer 5 years for a 7000 dollar discrepancy yet you let another go to jail and get his license back in 3 years who bilked clients out of millions, and now you bask in your false glory that you have brought another one to your demonic form of justice. Alabama you are a criminal state and the whole state should be incarcerated!!!
VISION?!? Is that what we call the person who thought we need an aqaurium because Atlanta has one….or that the Olympics should be in Birmingham because we held Olympic soccer one time…or we need an arena because we have no pro team to support it (look at the Memphis Pyramid).....Why not fix the poor excuse for a zoo we have?? He was good at spending other people’s money (namely ours!) while compiling personal debt; obtaining a 400 credit score and accepting bribes….and oh helping to drive Jefferson County into bankruptcy. VISION? I called it stupidity and just plain dumb! In 2007 we elected the worst mayor in the history of the US. Where is Patrick Cooper??? Please run again!!
owned !
My prayers go out to the Langford family. For all of you that are rejoicing at your brother’s downfall just remember that this too shall pass. Saying all that to say this Larry Langford the man is a good man with a vision that doesn’t mind speaking up and taking a chance on what he believes. That what bothers most of you admit. But to that know he does have a family let’s try to keep that in mind they are hurting enough at this time let’s keep our jokes and frivolous comments to ourselves. And let his and our own conscious be our guides as we travel down this road we call life. Let’s stop talking about this because he has done great things for Fairfield, Jefferson County and the City of Birmingham. Vision Land is the best thing that could have happen to Jefferson County (Bessemer is growing out of control) that what I mean about taking a chance. Where there is no vision there is no GROWTH. Much Love to the Langford Family! I appreciate all that you have done. Kick your shoes off, get you some rest and enjoy your family. And remember you’re bruised but not broken. God is working this out for your good, we can’t see it now, but we do know that whatever God brings us to he will bring us through. Much Love.
PS: Sorry for the rambling.
It is a great day in Jefferson County ,but a little late .you no the high sewer and water bills ,this was a long time coming,there was no raceism involved in this case ,the ex mayors wife is just mad because her lifestyle is about to change and change for the good .if the great people of Jefferson county vote any of the present co comm back in office they deserve what they get .by by La La .HAHAHAHAHAHAHA justice was served Mrs Langford say ByBy
Nothing would suit this city and county for all of them to go down with Langford, all were in the Jefferson County Commision. Hopefully next time the citizens of Jefferson County votes, they will think about who and what they are voting on. Watch out they are coming for you BFC and SS oh can’t forget Mary B too!!
Please understand that Langford is not the only crooked politician who happens to be African-American. His actions, nor the verdict had anything to do with COLOR; he just GOT CAUGHT. I do hope his punishment is befitting…. It would be very nice if we can convict the other ones from decades ago; you know the ones who wrote the book, “Corruption Without Conviction for Dummies”. For those who are still alive, I know that are laughing. They tried to tell politicians like Langford that politics are for certain boys in the big league. If you are not in that circle, you will eventually pay the price, death in prison for Langford, for ignorance!!! Good-bye L this is it!!
Color, gender, religion, economic status are driving forces behind employment, political race outcomes, population of certain neighborhoods, promotions, certain golf courses…..in AL, promotions, etc. In other words, the above situations, for the most part, were not based on qualifications!!! We have to be intelligent to realize that L just got caught, as stated previously, nothing more and nothing less.
I am so glad most of this is over. I have just reviewed the comments he made to Jon Papaeke. Mr. Papaeke please do not be offended by his comments. Keep in mind he is the one who has been found guilty of 60 charges. I would think it is him who is the “snake in the grass”. Sometimes there is justice in our land. Mr. Langford should hide his head in shame. Birmingham should now rise above this and become the great city it once was.
The city needed this verdict! It is a message to those in office that we are fed up with corruption and shady “pay to play” deals. We still have more to come before we can start to run this city right, there are more trials to come! This was a good thing for Birmingham and it’s citizens.
I am so glad to see that this crook will finally pay for his crimes. No one deserves it more unless it’s his wife who has nerve enough to stand their next to him and claim racism. You know that she knew what was going on, if not, wonder where she thought that he was getting all that stuff?????
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