Mark Fuller
Encyclopedia
Mark Everett Fuller is a federal judge for the U. S. District Court, Middle District of Alabama
. He was nominated by George W. Bush
on August 1, 2002 and confirmed by the US Senate on November 14, 2002.
He received his B.S. from the University of Alabama
in 1982 and his J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law
in 1985. He was an attorney in private practice from 1985–1996, when he became Chief Assistant District Attorney for the 12th Judicial Circuit of Alabama, and was then elected District Attorney of the 12th Circuit in 1996 where he served until his appointment as a federal judge.
Fuller has received criticism over his participation in the Federal criminal trial and sentencing of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman
. He denied a motion for his recusal
in the case that was based on his 43.75% interest in Doss Aviation, Inc. Doss contracted extensively for the Federal Government and those contracts were subject to annual renewal by the government. Fuller was also criticized for refusing to allow Siegelman to remain free on appeal and the Appeals Court overruled Fuller's decision. Siegelman argued that Fuller "gave the jury false instructions."
On March 6, 2009, the Eleventh Circuit issued its opinion on Don Seigelman's appeal of his conviction. The Eleventh Circuit's opinion vindicated Fuller's handling of the Don Siegelman trial by upholding the conviction and sentence, and affirming most of Fuller's decisions throughout the trial. The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Fuller's decision not to recuse himself from the case. The Eleventh Circuit noted that recusal motions must be made before trial. However, the defense in the Siegelman case waited until after the trial was over and the jury had rendered its verdict to ask Fuller to recuse himself. Accordingly, the Eleventh Circuit noted that the recusal motion "has all the earmarks of an eleventh-hour ploy based upon his dissatisfaction with the jury's verdict and the judge's post-trial rulings." The Eleventh Circuit also upheld the jury instructions that Fuller gave to the jury prior to their deliberations. Furthermore, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the sentence that Don Seigelman received.
The prosecution of Don Seigleman and Richard Scrushy is the subject of The Governor of Goat Hill, Don Seigleman, the Reporter who Exposed his Crimes, and the Hoax that Suckered some of the Top Names in Journalism, by Alabama investigative journalist Eddie Curran. Curran exposed Seigleman's crimes as a reporter for the Mobile Press-Register and has said that "The post-trial attacks on U.S. District Judge Mark Fuller appeared coordinated and well-planned. Fuller, who performed admirably in presiding over a very complicated trial, can't defend himself. One reason I feel good about, "The Governor of Goat Hill," is that, without it, the often vicious and invariably dishonest attacks on Fuller, the jurors and others would have largely gone unchallenged."
United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama
The United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the following counties: Autauga, Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Chambers, Chilton, Coffee, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Elmore, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lee, Lowndes,...
. He was nominated by George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
on August 1, 2002 and confirmed by the US Senate on November 14, 2002.
He received his B.S. from the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
in 1982 and his J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law
University of Alabama School of Law
The University of Alabama School of Law located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama is a nationally ranked top-tier law school and the only public law school in the state. In total, it is one of five law schools in the state, and one of three that are ABA accredited.The diverse student body, of approximately...
in 1985. He was an attorney in private practice from 1985–1996, when he became Chief Assistant District Attorney for the 12th Judicial Circuit of Alabama, and was then elected District Attorney of the 12th Circuit in 1996 where he served until his appointment as a federal judge.
Fuller has received criticism over his participation in the Federal criminal trial and sentencing of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman
Don Siegelman
Don Eugene Siegelman is an American Democratic Party politician who held numerous offices in Alabama. He was the 51st Governor of Alabama for one term from 1999 to 2003...
. He denied a motion for his recusal
Recusal
Judicial disqualification, also referred to as recusal, refers to the act of abstaining from participation in an official action such as a legal proceeding due to a conflict of interest of the presiding court official or administrative officer. Applicable statutes or canons of ethics may provide...
in the case that was based on his 43.75% interest in Doss Aviation, Inc. Doss contracted extensively for the Federal Government and those contracts were subject to annual renewal by the government. Fuller was also criticized for refusing to allow Siegelman to remain free on appeal and the Appeals Court overruled Fuller's decision. Siegelman argued that Fuller "gave the jury false instructions."
On March 6, 2009, the Eleventh Circuit issued its opinion on Don Seigelman's appeal of his conviction. The Eleventh Circuit's opinion vindicated Fuller's handling of the Don Siegelman trial by upholding the conviction and sentence, and affirming most of Fuller's decisions throughout the trial. The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Fuller's decision not to recuse himself from the case. The Eleventh Circuit noted that recusal motions must be made before trial. However, the defense in the Siegelman case waited until after the trial was over and the jury had rendered its verdict to ask Fuller to recuse himself. Accordingly, the Eleventh Circuit noted that the recusal motion "has all the earmarks of an eleventh-hour ploy based upon his dissatisfaction with the jury's verdict and the judge's post-trial rulings." The Eleventh Circuit also upheld the jury instructions that Fuller gave to the jury prior to their deliberations. Furthermore, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the sentence that Don Seigelman received.
The prosecution of Don Seigleman and Richard Scrushy is the subject of The Governor of Goat Hill, Don Seigleman, the Reporter who Exposed his Crimes, and the Hoax that Suckered some of the Top Names in Journalism, by Alabama investigative journalist Eddie Curran. Curran exposed Seigleman's crimes as a reporter for the Mobile Press-Register and has said that "The post-trial attacks on U.S. District Judge Mark Fuller appeared coordinated and well-planned. Fuller, who performed admirably in presiding over a very complicated trial, can't defend himself. One reason I feel good about, "The Governor of Goat Hill," is that, without it, the often vicious and invariably dishonest attacks on Fuller, the jurors and others would have largely gone unchallenged."