CHICAGO (STMW) — Informercial and Internet health “cures” pitchman Kevin Trudeau won’t go to jail, for now.
An appeals court granted Trudeau’s emergency appeal Thursday and said it will hear it next week.
Trudeau appealed after a federal judge in Chicago ordered him to surrender this afternoon to serve a 30-day jail sentence for criminal contempt of court for urging supporters to flood the judge with e-mails.
Trudeau filed his appearl Wednesday night after U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman sentenced him to 30 days in prison after previously finding Trudeau in direct criminal contempt of court.
That finding came after Trudeau supporters deluged the judge with 300 e-mails, locking up Gettleman’s e-mail system and shutting down his BlackBerry for part of the day last week.
“This was an attempt by Mr. Trudeau to harass, intimidate and influence the court,” Gettleman said.
He said Trudeau posted the judge’s e-mail address online and asked listeners of his radio show and those who visit his Web site to e-mail Gettleman. Gettleman said Trudeau falsely told listeners the judge wanted to burn all of his books and fine him tens of millions of dollars.
Gettleman is presiding over a civil case filed by the Federal Trade Commission involving deceptive ads for a Trudeau weight-loss book.
Trudeau’s lawyers argued in their appeal that the jail sentence went too far. “Mr Trudeau still must suffer the ‘dark stain’ of a criminal conviction for what at worst was a foolish mistake,” the lawyers told the higher court.
Read the original article from WBBM News Radio.
Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services