Roger Stone asks appeals court to keep him out of prison a while longer

Attorneys for Roger Stone have requested an emergency stay of District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson's ruling that directs the 67-year old to report to federal prison camp by July 14.

Stone, Donald Trump's friend and former political adviser, is attempting to get a federal appeals court to postpone the 40-month prison sentence that he faces after being convicted of attempting to thwart a congressional investigation into collusion between Russia and the president's 2016 campaign. 

Stone's legal team says that he suffers from an undisclosed medical condition that makes him highly susceptible to the coronavirus, should he catch it, and that his odds of contracting the illness in prison are high. The complex in Georgia where he is supposed to report is presently experiencing about ten cases among inmates and staff.

Prosecutors reportedly do not oppose Stone's request to Judge Jackson to delay his reporting date. However, the latest legal filing indicates that the U.S. Attorney's Office in DC has informed his lawyers that they are opposed to getting the appeals court involved.

President Trump has said before that Stone shouldn't worry about being sent to prison, predicting that his friend will be exonerated by the legal system; and, should that fail, POTUS has hinted that a pardon or commutation may be on the horizon. 

Stone has publicly shared that he suffers from asthma and a history of respiratory medical issues. However, his court filed medical history was put under seal. Prior to last week's ruling by Jackson, Stone said that he faced "certain" death in prison because of the likelihood of contracting the coronavirus.

Online, Stone maintains that he was [sic] "charged on politically motivated ,fabricated charges and was denied a fair trial with an unbiased judge,an honest jury and uncorrupted and non political prosecutors."