Disgraced Democratic fundraiser sentenced to 3 years in prison

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — Disgraced political donor Norman Hsu was sentenced Friday to three years in prison after a judge rejected his bid to throw out a 16-year-old fraud conviction.

Hsu’s lawyers had asked Judge Stephen Hall to dismiss his 1992 no-contest plea, arguing that Hsu’s right to a speedy trial was violated because authorities were not actively pursuing him during his years as a fugitive. They could easily have arrested Hsu, his lawyers argued, at one of the fundraisers he hosted in California for prominent local politicians.

Hsu also faces federal fraud charges in New York.

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