Renowned attorney J. Tony Serra, convicted of his third federal tax violation in 21 years, was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison today by a magistrate who praised his devotion to justice but said no one is above the law.
At a two-hour hearing in which a parade of Bay Area legal luminaries pleaded for leniency, U.S. Magistrate Joseph Spero agreed that Serra was a rarity -- a lawyer who has spent his life representing the downtrodden, usually for free -- but also noted that he hadn?t complied with the federal income tax laws for at least two decades.
"You're not an exception to the rule of law," Spero said. With a federal prosecutor's agreement, he allowed Serra to remain free until Jan. 30 to accommodate his trial schedule, and recommended confinement at the minimum-security federal prison camp in Lompoc.
He ordered Serra to pay $100,000 in restitution to the government after his release. The prison term was the minimum recommended by federal sentencing guidelines.
A friend of mine once attended a criminal defense conference at which Serra spoke while wearing a t-shirt that said "Fuck The Police." Details of Mr. Serra's sentencing are here from the San Francisco Chronicle.