Once one of Georgia's most powerful politicians, former Senate Majority Leader Charles Walker became the state's highest-ranking politician sentenced to prison when he received 121 months Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Augusta.

Judge Dudley H. Bowen Jr. imposed a sentence greater than the range of 87 to 108 months that federal sentencing guidelines recommended, citing a "need for an example or deterrent for others who might be similarly inclined."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Goolsby, who said Mr. Walker was the highest-ranking Georgia politician ever convicted, urged Judge Bowen to give Mr. Walker more time "to send a message to any other would-be corrupt politicians out there that if Sen. Walker can be brought to justice, then so can you."

Mr. Walker was also fined $150,000 and with his newspaper, The Augusta Focus, and his company, The Walker Group, must pay $698,000 in restitution. Once he is released from prison, he will serve another three years under probation supervision.

Approached outside the courtroom, a visibly angry Mr. Walker held up his hand to cut off questioning and later bulled his way through a throng of reporters without commenting.

He will be allowed to remain free on bond until called to report to the federal prison system within four to six weeks.

His team of defense attorneys has requested that he be allowed to stay out on bond pending the outcome of his appeal, and Judge Bowen said he will rule on that request shortly.

Mr. Walker was convicted in June on 127 felony accounts of conspiracy, mail fraud and filing a false tax return for his charity football event, the CSRA Classic.

His daughter Monique Walker Hill was indicted with Mr. Walker but was granted a separate trial. She pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor tax crime and is awaiting sentencing.

Mr. Walker was convicted of looting the cash receipts of the Classic, defrauding advertisers with inflated circulation figures at the Focus, using his influence and hiding his ownership in Georgia Personnel Services to do business with the Medical College of Georgia and Grady Memorial Hospital, and funneling campaign funds through the Focus.

Because Mr. Walker's companies also were convicted, the newspaper and the Walker Group were fined $10,000 each and Georgia Personnel was fined $50,000. The companies must also pay $81,200 in special assessments.

Judge Bowen fined the companies less than the recommended amount in hopes that it would help the businesses survive, he said.

Despite what has happened to him, Mr. Walker's legacy of service will remain, defense attorney Ed Garland said.

"The good he has done continues to live on in this community every day," he said.

The son of sharecroppers, Mr. Walker is a self-made businessman who sought to help the less fortunate, Mr. Garland said.

"He's had a true dedication to health care and a true dedication to children and a true dedication to public service," Mr. Garland said. That might have led to his downfall, he said.

"He's the victim of his own good will," Mr. Garland said. "Perhaps he got way too busy, too many things going on."

That prompted a sharp rebuke from the prosecutor.

"Not one iota of remorse has been shown" by Mr. Walker, Mr. Goolsby said. "He used and abused his public office for private gain."

Mr. Walker's defense team, which included half a dozen attorneys this week, has already served notice of a vigorous appeal, primarily based on the composition of the jury that convicted him.

The appeal will be based largely on what's called Baston challenges. In a 1986 decision in Baston v. Kentucky, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that attorneys cannot use race as a reason to exclude potential jurors.

In Mr. Walker's jury selection, according to court documents, each side made Baston challenges to the other side's strikes. All of the 12 strikes for the defense were used to exclude white men.

Judge Bowen ruled that the defense did not provide the necessary race-neutral excuses for four of those strikes and seated those four white men on Mr. Walker's jury.

Reach Tom Corwin at (706) 823-3213 or tom.corwin@augustachronicle.com.

Reach Sandy Hodson at (706) 823-3226 or sandy.hodson@augustachronicle.com.