A federal appeals court in Chicago has delivered a quick "no" to former Dixon comptroller Rita Crundwell's request to have her sentence reduced. Crundwell was sentenced to 19 years, 7 months in prison for embezzling nearly 54-million-dollars from the town and using the money to finance a lavish lifestyle. Crundwell had argued that her willingness to cooperate with the prosecution and her age should have weighed more heavily in determining her sentence. The three-judge panel disagreed, saying the trial judge acted properly in computing how long Crundwell should stay behind bars.
Crundwell has the option to appeal to the entire 7th U.S. Circuit Court which includes 11 judges and also the U. S. Supreme Court. The U.S Supreme Court does not have to accept the case.
