RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Former Virginia lawmaker Phil Hamilton has filed a new appeal in his federal corruption case, claiming ineffective counsel in his 2011 trial.
The longtime Republican delegate from Newport News is currently serving a 9½-year sentence in a federal prison in New Jersey for bribery and extortion.
Hamilton was convicted of soliciting a job at Old Dominion University that he helped create with taxpayer money.
The Virginian-Pilot reports (http://bit.ly/1rQapPu) that Hamilton now says he received ineffective assistance from his trial attorney and deserves a new trial. He lost a previous appeal in 2012.
Hamilton’s appeal was placed on the docket for the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond on Friday.
He’s pursuing his current appeal without an attorney and has requested a filing fee waiver because he’s indigent.
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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://pilotonline.com
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