Former Pa. House Speaker Perzel Off Hook For $1M In Restitution
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- An appeals court has ruled that former state House Speaker John Perzel, a Republican from Philadelphia, won't have to pay a million dollars in restitution for his 2011 guilty pleas in a corruption scandal.
Perzel pled guilty to theft and other offenses in a scheme to use taxpayer resources to develop computer software for political purposes. On appeal, Perzel contended that as for restitution, the Commonwealth cannot be considered a "victim."
State Superior Court has now vacated a million dollars in restitution on those grounds, on the heels of a similar state Supreme Court ruling in another corruption case.
Superior Court has actually vacated the entire sentence, and ordered resentencing, even though Perzel has already served his prison time.
The Superior Court opinion says sentencing needs to revisited since eliminating the restitution "may disrupt the trial court's overall sentencing scheme of incarceration and fines."
A $30,000 fine was also part of Perzel's sentence.