Gene Stipe Court Hearing Set

Tuesday, July 3rd 2007, 2:41 pm

By: News On 6

MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) -- A federal judge has ruled a final probation revocation hearing for former state Senator Gene Stipe will be held August 28th in U.S. District Court in Muskogee. Federal prosecutors and probation officials have accused Stipe of arranging illegal campaign contributions while on house arrest after another conviction for the same offense.

Stipe's attorney, Clark Brewster, says the veteran lawmaker is innocent.

At a hearing last week, a federal magistrate judge allowed the 80-year-old Stipe to remain free until the final probation revocation hearing.

If U.S. District Judge Ronald White rules that Stipe violated his probation, Stipe could be sent to federal prison for up to 10 months.

Stipe, who resigned from the Oklahoma Legislature in 2003 after 53 years in office, has about two years remaining on a five-year sentence of probation for federal election law violations.