Nation IN BRIEF : LOUISIANA : Federal Judge Gets 6 Years in Bribe Plot

U.S. District Judge Robert F. Collins was sentenced to six years and 10 months in prison for scheming with a politically connected New Orleans businessman to split a drug smuggler’s $100,000 payoff. The businessman, John Ross, was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison. Collins and Ross were convicted in June of bribery, conspiracy and obstruction of justice in a scheme to take a bribe from a convicted marijuana smuggler. Attorneys for Collins said the judge would not resign pending his appeal and would continue to collect his $125,000 annual salary. Since his conviction, Collins had not heard any cases. A federal judge is appointed for life and can be removed only by Congress.