Appeals court upholds 11 of Mike Hubbard’s felony convictions

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA/AP) - The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals has upheld 11 of the 12 felony ethics convictions against former Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard.

The court ruled there was sufficient evidence to convict Hubbard on most counts, including that he improperly asked lobbyists and company executives for work and investments in his printing business.

The appeals court threw out one count that accused Hubbard of voting on a budget bill in 2013 when he knew he had a conflict of interest.

In its opinion, the appeals court encouraged the legislature to more clearly explain several definitions in the state's ethics laws.

"The language of Alabama's ethics law should be clear as to which persons, businesses, and acts fall within its reach," the court stated.

Hubbard was indicted on 23 ethics law violations in 2014, and in 2016, a Lee County jury convicted him on 12 counts. Hubbard filed an appeal in May 2017, and was free on bond pending the appeal.

Hubbard was for years one of the state's most influential Republicans, but his political career came to an end with his 2016 conviction.

Copyright 2018 WSFA 12 News. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.