Update
Public corruptionSentence upheld
Last updated August 3, 2026
Mark Ridley-Thomas and the long appeal limbo
The veteran LA politician convicted in the USC benefits-for-favors corruption case.
Dateline
LA City Council / LA County / federal appeal in Pasadena - Los Angeles
Editorial note
Compiled by After the Headline from public reporting, court filings, official records, and the sources cited below.
Current status
The Ninth Circuit affirmed Mark Ridley-Thomas's conspiracy, bribery, and honest-services fraud convictions on August 3, 2026. His 42-month sentence therefore remains in place unless he obtains further review.
Attention gap
Coverage and case developments
Monthly national-TV coverage is shown alongside dated developments from the story timeline.
Story span
4.8 years
Latest update
August 3, 2026
August 3, 2026
The Ninth Circuit affirmed all seven convictions challenged on appeal.
November 21, 2024
His appeal was argued before the Ninth Circuit.
August 28, 2023
He was sentenced to 42 months in prison.
Deep dive
What happened next
A fuller account of the events, rulings, and records that followed.
This is one of those cases that felt over until the appellate docket supplied the ending.
Ridley-Thomas was convicted in 2023 in the corruption case involving benefits for his son and support for USC. He was sentenced later that year to 42 months in prison. For a lot of readers, that was the last meaningful headline.
The appeal kept the story alive for nearly three more years. The Ninth Circuit heard argument in November 2024, then affirmed all seven challenged convictions on August 3, 2026. The panel rejected his arguments over the bribery theory, jury instructions, and related trial issues.
Further review can still be requested, but the operative legal outcome is no longer appellate limbo: the convictions were affirmed and the 42-month sentence remains in place.
Timeline
Key updates
The sequence of major developments, ordered from newest to oldest.
August 3, 2026
Update
His appeal was argued before the Ninth Circuit.
Update
He was sentenced to 42 months in prison.
Update
A jury convicted him on multiple corruption-related counts.
Update
Ridley-Thomas was indicted in federal court.
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Reporting and records
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