Former House Speaker sentenced to 63 months « Thread Started on Jul 12, 2007, 12:06pm » --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Hackney says Black’s sentence sends a message Former House Speaker sentenced to 63 months By Kirk RossStaff Writer read at source http://www.carrborocitizen.com/main/200 ... a-message/ House Speaker Joe Hackney says the lengthy prison sentence for his predecessor underlines the consequences of breaching the public trust.Former House Speaker Jim Black was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison for accepting $29,000 from chiropractors in exchange for favorable legislation. Black, who served four terms as Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, is the highest-ranking state official to be convicted of corruption. The 72-year-old optometrist from Matthews also received a $50,000 fine and three years probation.