Appeals court upholds conviction of former Orange County Sheriff

Former Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona won’t pass go and he won’t collect $200. A federal appeals court today upheld a lower court ruling that will send him directly to prison.

Two years ago, a federal jury convicted Carona of a single count of witness tampering. He was sentenced to 5 ½ years in federal prison.

Jurors reached that verdict after they heard secretly recorded conversations between Carona and his then-secondhand-man, former Assistant Sheriff Don Haidl. In those tapes, Carona tried to get Haidl to lie for him when he was being investigated for corruption.

But Carona’s attorneys argued that those tapes should have never been allowed as evidence. They claimed prosecutors broke ethical rules to get the recordings.

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed, saying there was no misconduct. That clears the way for Carona to serve his half-decade sentence. It's not clear yet when he will report to prison to serve his time.