A federal judge is asking for more information from Patrick Cannon’s attorneys before deciding whether to delay sentencing in the case. The former Charlotte mayor’s attorneys filed for the delay on Monday, claiming that the scheduled September 25 sentencing date conflicts with the availability of witnesses.
U.S. District Court Judge Frank Whitney says that assertion is vague and insufficient to warrant a continuance. He asked for the witnesses' names, what they will testify about, and why they aren’t available.
Cannon pleaded guilty in June to taking more than $50,000 in bribes from undercover FBI agents. The public corruption charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. As part of his plea deal, Cannon faces a reduced sentence of 5 to 6 years in prison.
Amazon Distribution Center
Amazon plans to open a distribution center in November near the Concord airport. The planned 222,000 square foot facility would be the Internet giant’s first in North Carolina. Amazon hasn’t commented on how many people may work at the center or how much it will cost to build, but the company is already advertising jobs there, one of which will reportedly manage at least 30 employees. Amazon has a distribution center in Columbia, SC, and plans to open another in Spartanburg this fall.
Home Sales Up
Home sales in the Charlotte area were up 8.1 percent in August from a year ago and prices rose 2 percent over the same period. That’s according to numbers out Tuesday from the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association. The average sale price in August was just over $242,000.
Kilah Davenport
The North Carolina medical examiner has ruled the death of Kilah Davenport a homicide. That’s according to a report obtained by the Charlotte Observer.
The 4-year-old died in March due to complications of head injuries as the result of abuse in 2012 from her stepfather, Joshua Houser. Houser is serving 7 to 10 years in prison for that abuse. The Union County District attorney’s office is considering further charges in the case.
Speedway Lawsuit
The North Carolina Supreme Court is hearing arguments today from Charlotte Motor Speedway owner Bruton Smith on whether he should be allowed to sue Cabarrus County over $80 million in tax breaks offered by local officials.
A lower state court rejected arguments from Smith’s company, saying there was never a binding contract for the money to help build a new drag strip and make speedway upgrades. Smith threatened in 2007 to move the speedway outside of the Charlotte region if his company wasn’t granted the tax breaks.