The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is addressing the validity of the sentences given to an ex-senator and a nonprofit head last year.
The lawyers of former Citizens’ Alliance for Better Neigborhoods (now renamed Passyunk Aveune Revitalization Corp.) Executive Director Ruth Arnao, who was released from prison July 14, 2010, and ex-state Sen. Vince Fumo, who is serving his 55-month sentence in an Ashland, Ky. facility until Aug. 26, 2013 are trying to protect the sentences given by Judge Ronald Buckwalter while the government is hoping to prove errors were made and to force a resentencing that could extend Fumo’s sentence while possibly sending Arnao back to jail.
“The court determined to impose low sentences on the defendants, and we believe that it committed a number of procedural errors, and that if these procedural errors are corrected, they will point to much longer, appropriate sentences,” U.S. Assistant Attorney Robert Zauzmer said in court May 25 for an oral argument before Judge Julio M. Fuentes, Leonard I. Garth and Richard L. Nygaard.
One error the government brought up was how the judge arrived at 55 months since he never seemed to announce the final guideline range for the sentence, but Fumo’s lawyer, Samuel J. Buffone, disagreed.
“For instance, it’s one thing if [the judge] grants [enhancements], then he’s supposed to explain it,” Garth said to Buffone. “And if he denies it, he’s supposed to explain why he denies it, but I don’t find that in this record.”
No ruling has been made yet and no future hearings have been scheduled as of press time.
Also in this week’s Police Report:
Runaway bullet
Drive-by shooting
Murder mystery
Triple shooting
Angelina’s bail revoked
Targeting Target
Locals charged with assault
Meet the captain
A year later
