News (AP) - Appeals court tosses out Detroit woman's sentence

PORT HURON (AP) -- A four-year prison sentence has been tossed out after a federal judge in Port Huron stated the wrong facts and had a written decision in hand before the hearing. An appeals court ruled Monday in the case of Lashawn Wilson of Detroit, who used stolen money orders to buy computers. Wilson was sentenced to 48 months in prison, well above the guideline, after federal Judge Lawrence Zatkoff said she stole money orders and cashier's checks from a bank. Someone else actually took them. Zatkoff also had a sentence already on paper. The judge asked lawyers to read it and raise any objections. Two members of the appeals panel say it's not illegal but "should not be tolerated" because it leaves the perception that a defendant didn't get a fair shake. Published: Wed, Jul 21, 2010

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