Conyers' release request called long shot

DETROIT, April 12 (UPI) -- A law professor says a request by the former president of the Detroit City Council to commute her prison sentence to home confinement is a long shot.

Monica Conyers, the wife of Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., sent a letter to a federal judge this month requesting she be sent home to serve the remainder of her sentence in a corruption case involving a city contract.

Monica Conyers is doing time at a West Virginia facility, the Detroit Free Press said Tuesday was nicknamed "Camp Cupcake" due to its relatively hospitable atmosphere.

But Wayne State University law Professor Peter Henning told The Detroit News it was unlikely the judge would be swayed by Conyers' request. "You can ask," the former federal prosecutor said. "Barring extraordinary circumstances, I doubt he would reconsider."

Conyers, who has maintained her innocence, said her age, family ties and work history made it unlikely she would cause any problems at home. She also noted in her letter that her son's babysitter would be returning to school soon.