Roger Stone sentenced to over 3 years in prison

Longtime Trump ally Roger Stone was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison and fined $20,000 Thursday for lying to Congress, tampering with a witness and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to tip the 2016 election.

The sentencing comes amid Trump's unrelenting defence of his longtime confidant and follows an extraordinary move by Attorney General William Barr to back off his Justice Department's original recommendation for prison time.

That initial recommendation was that Stone serve seven to nine years behind bars.

But as Associated Press Supreme Court reporter Mark Sherman explains, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson agreed with both President Donald Trump and Attorney General William Barr that that guideline seemed excessive.

Judge Jackson "was trying to arrive at something that she thought was both sufficient for the crimes he committed, but also not out of whack with other sentences for similar crimes," Sherman said.

Stone's lawyers had asked for a sentence of probation, citing his age of 67 years, his health and his lack of criminal history. Instead, he drew 40 months. Jackson also sentenced Stone to two years of probation after his prison time and fined him $20,000.

The sentencing set off a parlour game of speculation in Washington, with many wondering when — not if — President Donald Trump would grant Stone a pardon.

Sherman says even putting aside the potential for a pardon, Stone's future, including when he might have to report to prison, remains unclear.

"There's a pending motion for a new trial that he wants. There's also the possibility of appeal. And so it's not clear when even if the new trial is denied...he would have to begin his prison term," Sherman says. "For now, he's free,"