Medford’s last gamble: pursue a pardon

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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A federal judge on Monday sentenced former Buncombe County Sheriff Bobby Medford (on the right) to 15 years in prison for his role in an illegal gambling operation. A jury found Medford guilty earlier this year on several counts of abusing his office of sheriff and taking bribes from video poker machine operators and owners.

Despite the bright October sun, it was a mostly dreary day for Medford, looking pale and bent over in pain from his bad back. He was thin. He stood outside and smoked.

His long-time girlfriend, Judi Bell, told me that Medford had a hard time saying goodbye to his pet parrot, Miss Meredith.

The story that nobody has yet reported is that a group of Medford supporters is launching an all-out effort to ask President George W. Bush to pardon Medford before he leaves office in January. The effort will include a letter and an effort to gather 20,000 signatures on a petition supporting the pardon.

It’s one more desperate, last-change gamble for a man in ill health who is essentially facing a life sentence in prison.