Jones' lawyer releases comment on case
By John Joyce
Published in News on November 8, 2015 3:05 AM
In a statement released Friday at 4 p.m., Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Arnold O. Jones again denied any wrongdoing in response to the allegations he bribed a task force officer assigned to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In a statement written by Geoff Hulse, one of the attorneys representing Jones from the law firm Haithcock, Barfield, Hulse & Kinsey, Jones said he "has faith that the judicial process will fully exonerate him."
Jones is charged with promising to pay a bribe to a public official, promising and paying a gratuity to a public official and corruptly attempting to influence an official proceeding. According to the indictment, Jones asked the officer to illegally obtain text messages exchanged between two cell phone numbers in return for cases of beer and $100.
If convicted, Jones could face up to 37 years in prison and a maximum fine of $750,000. Jones stated in a federal court in Raleigh Wednesday that he intends to plead not guilty. An arraignment has yet to be scheduled.
In his statement, Jones said the charges are "unwarranted by the actual facts," and they are "misapplications ... of the law."
The full statement written by Hulse is listed below:
"The charges against Judge Jones are unwarranted by the actual facts, and are misapplications -- and misuses -- of the law. The charges trivialize the concepts of 'bribery' and 'corruption,' and this prosecution wholly unjustified. Judge Jones maintains his innocence of any criminal violation of law and has faith that the judicial process will exonerate him."