Lawyer Says Indicted Judge Never Offered to Plead No Contest
WASHINGTON — Chief U.S. District Judge Walter L. Nixon Jr. of Mississippi made no offer to the government to plead no contest to charges of perjury and accepting an illegal gratuity in return for being allowed to resign without further action, his attorney said Friday.
A government source familiar with discussions between the judge’s attorneys and Justice Department officials had said Thursday, after Nixon was indicted by a federal grand jury on the charges, that the government had rejected such an offer by the judge.
“I’m not suggesting there were no discussions, but there was never under any circumstances an offer to resign,†Nixon’s attorney, Michael Fawer of New Orleans, said. Fawer added that he became involved in discussions with government attorneys Monday after he began representing Nixon in the case.
“At no time was there ever a suggestion of a willingness to plead no contest or guilty to anything,†Fawer said.
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