Larry Langford to be released from federal prison

Former Birmingham and Fairfield Mayor Larry Langford has been ordered to be released from federal prison in Kentucky and is set to return to Alabama to spend the rest of his days with his family.

U.S. District Court Judge Scott Coogler on Friday reduced Langford’s corruption sentence to time served. The 72-year-old is reportedly in critical health and has served eight years and eight months of a 15-year sentence for bribery, money laundering, conspiracy, honest services mail and wire fraud and tax fraud convictions stemming from his time on the Jefferson County Commission.

Langford was convicted in fall 2009 of taking approximately $235,000 in bribes in exchange for giving county sewer bond business to an investment banker.

While it is not yet clear exactly when Langford will be transported back to Birmingham, the judge wrote that he “shall be released from the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons as soon as his medical condition permits, the release plan is implemented, and travel arrangements can be made.”

The judge granted the compassionate reduction in sentence at the request of Trump administration official Hugh J. Hurwitz, acting director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Hurwitz’s request was made through Jay E. Town, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama.

In a statement, Town said,“After reviewing the information provided by the Bureau of Prisons, it was our judgement that compassionate release and reduction of sentence was appropriate under these limited circumstances.’’

Judge Coogler explained, “The defendant has been diagnosed with end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema, pulmonary hypertension, right heart failure, sickle-cell trait, plantar fascial fibromatosis, bursitis, esophageal reflux with esophagitis, dysphagia secondary to a cricopharyngeal bar and esophageal stenosis, sensorineural hearing loss, pterygium, and anemia. The defendant is considered debilitated under Federal Bureau of Prisons policy and, based upon recent deterioration in his health, his condition is considered by the Bureau of Prisons to be terminal, with a life expectancy of 18 months or less.”

Once Langford leaves the prison in Lexington, he will begin 36 months term of supervised release, which will include home confinement and possible electronic monitoring.

Langford’s sentence reduction was backed by significant media and lobbying efforts by some Alabama politicians, including Congresswoman Terri Sewell (AL-7) and Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin.

Sewell released the following statement after news of the judge’s order became public:

“As I have said before, justice should be fair, but merciful. I am deeply grateful to all those who heeded our renewed call for the immediate compassionate release of Mayor Larry Langford. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama Jay Town, Senator Doug Jones, our federal partners, and all those who worked side-by-side with our office despite the government shutdown to secure Mayor Langford’s release. The holiday season is a reminder of the importance of family, and the commutation of Mayor Langford’s sentence means that our former Mayor can spend his final days at home in Alabama with loved ones. My prayers are with the whole Langford family as they reunite and provide comfort to Mayor Langford in the days and weeks ahead.”

Representative Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham) specifically praised the Trump administration for their role in Langford’s release.

“This is a great day for the Trump administration. We have been working with the administration, the U.S. Attorney’s office, as well as Sen. Doug Jones and Congresswoman Terri Sewell to make this possible,” she said.

Crowd including activist Frank Matthews are marching down the corridor between Boutwell Auditorium and the museum of art singing “This Little Light of Larry, I’m Going to Let it Shine,” in response to a federal judge’s order to release Larry Langford. #alpolitics pic.twitter.com/oUgXUrZZif

— Howard Koplowitz (@HowardKoplowitz) December 28, 2018