CHARLESTON – Suspended state Supreme Court Justice Allen Loughry will take the stand in his federal trial.
During the first day of testimony Oct. 3, Loughry’s attorney John Carr said Loughry will testify in the trial. Loughry faces 22 federal charges after federal prosecutors dismissed three charges.
Carr urged the jury – 10 women and two men – to listen to Loughry and not base their opinions on social media, “fake news,” “political bickering” and “scores that need to be settled.”
Loughry is accused of mail fraud, wire fraud, witness tampering and lying to federal agents. The three charges that were dropped were focused on an antique Cass Gilbert desk Loughry had taken to his Charleston home.
Prosecutors have indicated their case will rely on travel records, purchasing records and cell phone as well as witness testimony.
On WCHS Radio’s “580 Live” program, Charleston attorney Mike Hissam says he thinks the prosecution’s move to dismiss the charges regarding the desk means they’ll focus on Loughry’s use of state vehicles and gas cards.
“It’s clear from this that they’re dropping their allegations about when the Cass Gilbert desk was delivered, the antique desk, was delivered to Justice Loughry’s house,” said Hissam, who represented Justice Beth Walker in her Senate impeachment trial this week. “The government is kind of pulling back some of the counts from that indictment. …
“I’ve felt that this case could very well come down to his testimony. That’s not decided yet. That will be decided after the government rests its case.”
Loughry is accused of using a government vehicle and submitting mileage claims for reimbursement; using a government vehicle and credit card on personal trips as well as of attempting to corruptly obstruct and influence testimonial evidence of a Supreme Court employee in an imminent grand jury investigation. He also is accused of lying to federal investigators during questioning about the allegations.
The state Supreme Court suspended Loughry without pay while charges of judicial misconduct against him were pending on June 8. That motion meant that Loughry could not hear any arguments or perform any judicial functions while his case progresses through the court system.
Two days prior, a request to suspend Loughry's law license was issued, along with a 32-count Statement of Charges.
In the June 6 filing, the Judicial Investigation Commission claimed Loughry violated the Code of Judicial Conduct by making "false statements with the deliberate attempt to deceive, engaged in sophism and gave disinformation with the intent to harm another person.”
The JIC statement said it had been investigating Loughry since February.
Loughry also faces another trial next month before the state Senate after the House voted to impeach him. If found guilty there, he would be removed from the court.
Loughry was elected to the Supreme Court in 2012, and served as chief justice in 2017.
U.S. District Court case number 2:18-cr-00134
