As President Bush’s time in office winds down, the family of
John Rigas is hoping for one more decree from him.

The family is leading an effort seeking Presidential clemency
for Rigas, 83, who is currently serving a 12-year sentence in a
low-security prison in Butner, N.C.

Letters of support are being collected to be sent to the
President, while the appropriate paperwork requesting commutation
was filed at the beginning of this week.

Hope is for President Bush to commute the sentence for Rigas,
allowing him to return home without serving the rest of the prison
term.

Commutation is defined as shortening the term of punishment.
Often a commutation is done after a person has served part of the
sentence. Commutation differs from a pardon because a pardon
restores a person’s civil rights and removes the stigma of the
punishment, while a commutation does not.

Both Rigas and his son, Tim Rigas, who is serving a 17-year
sentence, have requested a new trial through the U.S. Second
Circuit Court of Appeals. The request is based on the appearance of
new evidence following the original trial that the Rigases say
would have led to an acquittal or possibly a shorter prison
sentence.

Along with the new trial request is a motion to release the two
on bail. Their attorney, Lawrence McMichael, states the two are not
flight risks.

Both Rigases have been in prison since Aug. 13, 2007, serving
time for securities fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank
fraud.

The Rigases owned Adelphia Communications Corp., previously the
fifth largest cable company in the world, which filed for
bankruptcy in 2002. Federal charges were filed against John Rigas
and his two sons Tim and Michael. Michael Rigas was sentenced to 10
months of home confinement in 2006, while John and Tim Rigas each
received prison sentences of more than 10 years.

Adelphia was sold to Time Warner and Comcast in April 2005 for
,17.6 billion. In February of 2007, the former Time Warner call
center in Coudersport closed, putting 500 people out of work. All
told, losing the company meant the loss of 1,500 jobs in
Coudersport.