Montgomery, AL – At least nine Alabama legislators have been excused from subpoenas requiring them to appear before a federal grand jury in Birmingham this week. The nine were among more than a dozen present and former legislators who got subpoenas last week from a grand jury investigating corruption in the two-year college system.
An attorney for four state senators -- Hinton Mitchem, Lowell Barron, Bobby Denton, and Rodger Smitherman -- says they have been excused from appearing this week.
An attorney representing five House members says they have also been excused. They are Betty Carol Graham, Merika Coleman, Jack Page, Laura Hall and Ralph Howard. The attorney for the five says he expects them to be called later.
Another state representative, Randy Hinshaw, is scheduled to appear before the grand jury tomorrow afternoon.
A former state representative, Jefferson County Commissioner Bobby Humphryes, says he appeared before the grand jury yesterday. Humphryes says he was asked about a job he used to have in the two-year college system.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)