TUSCUMBIA, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama lawyer has been sentenced to four months in jail for trying to influence a potential juror in a civil case.
News outlets report William J. Underwood pleaded guilty Tuesday to jury tampering as part of a deal in which he was ordered to permanently surrender his license to practice law in Alabama. A statement from the office of Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall says Underwood entered his plea on the morning the case's trial was set to start.
It says Underwood contacted a potential juror and attempted to influence the juror's thoughts about how the case should end. It says the potential juror recorded the conversation and sent it to authorities after realizing the attempted influence was illegal. Underwood was indicted last year on an attempted bribery charge.
