Pras Files Motion to Remain Free on Bond During Appeal

Last month Fugees rapper Pras Michél was sentenced to 14 years in prison after his conviction on charges of conspiracy and illegal foreign lobbying [click here if you missed that].

Now Pras has filed a motion to remain free on bond while appealing the verdict...

From AllHipHop

Pras Michel is fighting to stay free while appealing his conviction, asking a federal judge to grant bail as he challenges what his lawyers call a deeply tainted trial.

His legal team filed a motion seeking bail pending appeal, arguing that his conviction is vulnerable on multiple fronts and that he poses no flight risk or danger to the public.

Michel’s attorneys argue the trial was riddled with errors that improperly swayed the jury. They contend jurors repeatedly heard that federal judges and FBI agents believed Michel was guilty, a situation they describe as unprecedented and profoundly prejudicial.

“Rather than testify about the subject matter of the FBI’s investigation, Agent Heuchling testified about his conclusions after reviewing all of the evidence,” Pras’s lawyer Peter Zeidenberg said. “Agent Heuchling also expressed his opinions about then strength of the evidence, including based on hearsay, such as when he testified that he traced funds to entities associated with Michel.”

The motion claims that the trial judge allowed jurors to learn that a separate judge had found probable cause that Michel committed crimes, and then reinforced that message through repeated courtroom rulings labeling him a “co-conspirator” before the jury.