State Sen. Rod Wright wins sentencing delay to July 21

State Sen. Roderick Wright (D-Inglewood) has won a delay in his sentencing on voter fraud and perjury convictions.

Wright was to have been sentenced on May 16 and face possible expulsion from the Legislature’s upper house. His attorney was able to get the sentencing moved to July 21, the district attorney’s office said, to allow him more time to prepare a motion for a new trial.

A Los Angeles jury convicted Wright in late January on all eight charges stemming from the D.A.’s allegations Wright had lied about his legal residence to run for his state Senate seat, an office he first won in 2008.

In March, the state Senate suspended--with pay--Wright and two other lawmakers, Sens. Ronald S. Calderon (D-Montebello) and Leland Yee (D-San Francisco).

Calderon and Yee were arrested earlier this year on bribery and other political corruption charges resulting from separate FBI sting operations. Both have pleaded not guilty.

The suspensions cost the Senate Democrats their supermajority, a least temporarily. They can no longer raise taxes, for example, without Republican support and some observers believe the scandals could hurt Democratic candidates’ chances in close elections this year.

Once Wright is sentenced, if he does not resign voluntarily, he would face an expulsion vote from his Senate colleagues.

Wright has maintained his innocence and his attorney has said he would appeal to a higher court if Judge Kathleen Kennedy does not grant him a new trial.