Former Lodi city council member Shakir Khan on Thursday entered a no contest plea as part of a deal to resolve his election fraud case in San Joaquin County, his lawyer said. Khan had faced a possible 40-year state prison sentence. As part of the deal, he’ll receive a two-year sentence at the San Joaquin County Jail instead, attorney Allen Sawyer said in a release. With “standard procedures” and credit for time served, Khan could be released after closer to one year. “Today, Mr. Khan has made a difficult decision in the best interest of his family and his future,” Sawyer’s statement said. News of the deal comes as jury selection had been set to continue Thursday in the case. Khan is accused of stashing 41 ballots at his home for the 2020 election. Investigators also found that he had registered 23 people at his home and that his email and phone number had been used to register 47 others. He previously pleaded not guilty. Now, he won’t contest the charges against him “without agreeing to the factual basis as presented by the prosecution.” “The decision to enter a plea of no contest with a West declaration is not one that comes lightly,” Sawyer said. “However, Mr. Khan has chosen to take this path as a means to an end, ensuring that he can return to his family in the shortest time possible. He has a wife and young children whose well-being has been at the forefront of his considerations throughout this process.”The court action comes as Khan is suing Lodi’s mayor and council for alleged unlawful conduct in removing him from his position on the city council. He argues that he was pressured to resign during a police interrogation.| PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Shakir Khan sues Lodi mayor, councilmembers following removal from city councilHis attorney’s statement said that Khan thanked supporters and “has expressed his intention to focus on his family and begin the process of moving forward after the conclusion of these legal proceedings.”
Former Lodi city council member Shakir Khan on Thursday entered a no contest plea as part of a deal to resolve his election fraud case in San Joaquin County, his lawyer said.
Khan had faced a possible 40-year state prison sentence. As part of the deal, he’ll receive a two-year sentence at the San Joaquin County Jail instead, attorney Allen Sawyer said in a release. With “standard procedures” and credit for time served, Khan could be released after closer to one year.
“Today, Mr. Khan has made a difficult decision in the best interest of his family and his future,” Sawyer’s statement said.
News of the deal comes as jury selection had been set to continue Thursday in the case.
Khan is accused of stashing 41 ballots at his home for the 2020 election. Investigators also found that he had registered 23 people at his home and that his email and phone number had been used to register 47 others.
He previously pleaded not guilty. Now, he won’t contest the charges against him “without agreeing to the factual basis as presented by the prosecution.”
“The decision to enter a plea of no contest with a West declaration is not one that comes lightly,” Sawyer said. “However, Mr. Khan has chosen to take this path as a means to an end, ensuring that he can return to his family in the shortest time possible. He has a wife and young children whose well-being has been at the forefront of his considerations throughout this process.”
The court action comes as Khan is suing Lodi’s mayor and council for alleged unlawful conduct in removing him from his position on the city council. He argues that he was pressured to resign during a police interrogation.
| PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Shakir Khan sues Lodi mayor, councilmembers following removal from city council
His attorney’s statement said that Khan thanked supporters and “has expressed his intention to focus on his family and begin the process of moving forward after the conclusion of these legal proceedings.”
