Sentencing will begin Friday for former Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway who has pleaded guilty in one of the most public corruption cases in Dallas history.
Prosecutors and Caraway’s defense attorney filed a joint motion asking Judge Barbara Lynn to postpone Caraway’s sentencing arguing that Caraway is a key witness against a real estate developer indicted in another alleged corruption case. The request was denied Thursday.
Prosecutors said it was "…in Caraway’s best interests to have the Court fully consider his cooperation before it determines his sentence."
In her ruling, Lynn said the court will assume Caraway’s cooperation in the ongoing case against developer Ruel Hamilton. But the judge also said prosecutors could come back and ask the court for a reduction in Caraway's sentence at a later date, after Caraway has testified in the Hamilton case.
Lynn may have denied the motion because she had already studied the case long enough to decide a just punishment, or she may have been annoyed that it was filed so late, said former U.S. Attorney Paul Coggins, who is not involved in the proceedings.
"She's a very fair jurist, but she does run a tight ship. You better come prepared to her court," Coggins said.
Hamilton has pleaded not guilty after an indictment alleging he paid bribes to former Dallas City Council Member Carolyn Davis and another person described as "Council Person A" who appears to be Caraway based on a statement from the US Attorney’s office.
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That statement said Council Person A left office on Aug. 9, 2018, the same day that Caraway resigned and the feds announced his guilty plea.
Caraway has pleaded guilty to accepting about $450,000 in bribes and kickbacks from people also involved in the scandal that shut down Dallas County Schools, the former school busing agency.
In exchange for bribes paid in cash, custom suits, gambling money and more, Caraway has admitted he cast votes on the City Council which benefited Robert Leonard the owner of a school bus camera company involved in a business venture which put Dallas County Schools on the brink of bankruptcy. The state legislature and voters ultimately elected to shut DCS down.
