Attorneys ask court for no jail time for ex-Sheriff Metts

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Defense attorneys and prosecutors agree that former Lexington County Sheriff James Metts should not serve any time in prison.

Metts’ attorneys say in court documents filed Wednesday that the former lawman should not be imprisoned for a variety of reasons, including his decades of public service, his age and his poor health.

Defense attorneys also say prosecutors support a sentence that does not include prison.

Metts was sheriff for 42 years before his June indictment and formally retired as he planned to plead guilty to a federal bribery conspiracy charge. He was the eighth sheriff in South Carolina to be charged or investigated while in office since 2010 and is scheduled to be sentenced Monday.

A separate pre-sentencing report recommended Metts serve between 10 and 16 months in prison.

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Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP