© 2024 Michigan State University Board of Trustees
Public Media from Michigan State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Prosecutors Want New Trial For Inman Before He Leaves Office

Larry Inman
GOP House

In documents filed in federal court Friday, U.S. prosecutors say they want to take State Rep. Larry Inman (R-Williamsburg) to court before he leaves office.

Inman is accused of trying to sell his vote on a piece of legislation in 2018. He’s still facing two corruption charges after a partial acquittal and mistrial last year.

“Due to term limits and the time needed for this Court to decide and to reset this case for a retrial, [Rep. Inman] may very well have served the full term of an office from which he sought to improperly gain,” prosecutors said in a brief. “And, as with all cases, witness memories may fade as time continues to pass and yet the government’s high burden of proof remains the same.”

Larry Inman is term-limited. His third and final term in the state house wraps up at the end of the year. His attorney said a jury didn’t find the lawmaker guilty of lying to the FBI, so the rest of the case should be thrown out.

“The jury believed Representative Inman’s testimony,” Inman’s attorney Chris Cooke wrote in a July brief. “The entire body of evidence that the Government had to contradict Representative Inman’s statements and testimony was presented to the jury. Their verdict is an affirmation of his testimony that he had no intention to violate the law.”

Cooke previously filed a motion to have the rest of the charges dismissed, but prosecutors say that wasn’t done on time.

Inman has said he’s innocent of all charges.

“I’m going to stand up for what I think is right and that is I did not do anything wrong," the lawmaker said in February.

Now Federal Court Judge Robert Jonker will decide if -- and when -- a retrial will take place. Inman’s attorney says he has no idea when that decision will be made.

Related Content
Journalism at this station is made possible by donors who value local reporting. Donate today to keep stories like this one coming. It is thanks to your generosity that we can keep this content free and accessible for everyone. Thanks!