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Former Orange County Church Pastors Decline DA?s Plea Deal

By Neil Shous, Esq.

Two former pastors of an Orange County church turned down a plea deal to serve a three-year prison term on charges of grand theft and conspiracy to commit fraud. According to an article in The Orange County Register , Richard and Philip Cunningham ? father and son ? turned down a plea bargain on the felony counts for which they could?ve faced up to six years in state prison. Richard Cunningham was the founder of the Calvary Baptist Church of Yorba Linda in 1971 and his son, Philip, became the church?s senior pastor about 12 years ago. Both pleaded not guilty to the felony counts and a trial date is yet to be set, the Register reported. However, this is not the Cunninghams? last chance for a plea deal. The judge in this case has asked for a report from the county Probation Department, which will present the bulk of the evidence in favor of and against the two former pastors...continue to full post

Full post as published by California Criminal Defense Blog on November 11, 2007 (boomark / email).