Judge denies new trial for former House Speaker Mike Hubbard

Things aren’t looking any better for ousted House Speaker Mike Hubbard these days. A judge denied him a new trial on the grounds of jury misconduct.

Lee County Circuit Judge Jacob Walker on Tuesday said Hubbard failed to prove jurors were prejudiced against him when they convicted him on ethics charges back in June. In his decision, he noted Hubbard was not convicted on all counts brought before the court, suggesting the jurors were, in fact, not prejudiced and they systematically made their decisions count-by-count.

“Because the defendant failed to make a showing that he was actually prejudiced, this court would not disturb the verdict of the trial jury,” Walker wrote in his decision.

On June 10, Hubbard was convicted on 12 of 23 counts of corruption, which automatically removed the powerful Republican from both the Legislature and the speaker’s office, ending the upward trajectory of the one-time GOP star whose career previously appeared to have no limits. He was later sentenced to a total of four years in prison and eight years on probation, and ordered to pay a $210,000 fine.

Hubbard is free on bond while he appeals to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. He continues to maintain his innocence.