A powerful man, a man of privilege, a get-tough-on-crime white man, came before the court to learn his punishment under the law.

What kind of message would it send?

Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard spoke not a word and offered nothing in the way of remorse or apology. His lawyer, Bill Baxley, argued -- long after conviction -- that the prosecution brought a witch hunt and the jury bungled its job,

"He hasn't done anything wrong," Baxley said. "He is one of the very few who has been mistreated" by the legal system.

n the morning after Dallas one Alabama judge heard time and time again that all our implements of justice are unfit for this man.

"Incarceration doesn't do any good for anybody," Congressman Mike Rogers said from the stand, describing how the two had traveled together and attended sporting events together.

But prison apparently works for some people. Rogers went on to describe how sad it would be if a drug dealer or a real criminal had to be released to make room for somebody like ... Hubbard.

Because Hubbard is a "good man."

crimes against the people of Alabama -- crimes of premeditation and greed that drain the confidence Alabamians have in their government -- are not crimes at all. Not to the congressman.

Dr. George Mathison, pastor of Hubbard's church, told the judge that Hubbard is a godly man."

"I don't think incarceration for a man like Mike serves any purpose," he said.

A man like Mike.

Mathison told the judge that throughout his ministry he has found that a strict legalistic approach often fails to work for with those who have made mistakes.

It is better, he said, to treat them "with compassion."

With every character witness that took the stand another message was sent.

Tough punishment is something politicians love to talk about at election time, to promise and to implement. It is altogether different when it applies to them.

We heard it all. Hubbard is innocent. He was railroaded and treated unfairly. His crimes were not really crimes at all and his family has been through enough.

"They've already suffered more than anybody should," one banker friend said.

That message. Today.

In the end Hubbard was sentenced to serve a total of four years in prison and to pay a $210,000 fine.


http://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2016/07/hubbard_sentence_on_a_day_like.html