Federal jury convicts Wayne County judge on all bribery charges
Prosecutors say they had a judge on video bribing an FBI officer while he was on the steps of the Wayne County Courthouse in his judicial robe.
A federal jury in Wilmington took 33 minutes to convict Superior Judge Arnold Jones on corruption charges of paying bribes, paying gratuities, and attempted corrupt influence of an official proceeding.
The judge was arrested last November after the feds say he offered an FBI Task Force officer $100 or cases of beer for text messages from his wife's phone.
Prosecutors said Jones wanted the messages because he believed his wife was having an affair. Final evidence against Jones was a video of him exchanging cash for a computer disk.
Jones has been on suspension with pay from the state court system. When asked, a spokeswoman for the courts said they didn't have information on whether a sitting judge had ever been convicted of bribery or corruption.
The judge is on the ballot for re-election next month, and will be sentenced in January. He faces up to 37 years in prison and fines up to $750,000.
The trial for a judge accused of trying to bribe an FBI agent is underway as it began Monday morning in a Wilmington court room.
Wayne County Superior Judge Arnold Jones was arrested last November after federal authorities say he offered the agent $100 for text messages from his wife's phone.
Court documents say Jones wanted the messages because he "believed that his wife was having an affair."
The trial starts just weeks before Jones' re-election for the superior court seat in Wayne County.
Jones has been on voluntary leave since his arrest in November.
The trial for a Wayne County judge who is accused of trying to bribe an FBI agent is set to start next month.
Superior Judge Arnold Jones was arrested last November after federal authorities say he offered the agent $100 for text messages from his wife's phone. Court documents say Jones wanted the messages because he "believed that his wife was having an affair."
Federal Judge James Fox has ordered jury selection in Jones' trial to start October 3rd in Wilmington, with the actual trial beginning October 17th.
Judge Fox has also denied several motions by Jones' attorneys to have parts of the federal indictment tossed out.
The trial will start three weeks before Jones' re-election for the Superior Court seat. He is facing off against Goldsboro attorney Will Bland in November 8th's election.
Jones has been on voluntary leave since his arrest in November.
