Former Alabama House Speaker Michael G. “Mike” Hubbard (R-Auburn) reported to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office on Friday afternoon to begin serving what is currently a four-year prison sentence.

Hubbard in 2016 was convicted on 12 of 23 ethics charges brought against him by the Alabama Attorney General’s Office.

One of those 12 convictions was reversed by the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals in August 2018. An additional five convictions were tossed by the Supreme Court of Alabama earlier this year.

Although half of the original convictions have been tossed to-date, Hubbard still faces four years in prison, which was the original length of imprisonment imposed by the trial judge. Of the original charges brought against him, only 26% have stuck.

Hubbard has been free on an appeals bond since his conviction. He had until Saturday to report to jail after the Supreme Court of Alabama recently denied Hubbard’s request for a rehearing and issued a certificate of judgment.

“The long road to justice is finally nearing its end for former Speaker Mike Hubbard,” stated Attorney General Steve Marshall on August 28.

In a statement to WSFA on Friday, Hubbard defense attorney Lance Bell said, “Mike Hubbard is a strong Christian man and has accepted the current situation but firmly believes in his innocence and looks forward to exploring other options to clear his name.”

Hubbard’s legal team has expressed an interest in appealing his case to the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as moving for resentencing.

WSFA reported that Hubbard is being held in Russell County and will eventually be turned over to the Alabama Department of Corrections.

Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn