A federal judge asks one of the defendants in the Route 82 bridge bomb lot case if he should step aside because of bias.

WKYC-Channel 3 News reports Judge David Dowd asked the attorney for 35-year old Anthony Hayne to discuss the issue with his client before Friday's sentencing at the Federal Courthouse in Akron.

The issue stems from comments the judge made to the Cleveland Plain Dealer that were favorable to three co-defendants sentenced one week ago.

Hayne is hoping his plea deal gives him half of the eight- to 11-year sentences his co-defendants got, instead of the longer terms sought by the government. Dowd called the longer recommendations grotesque.

On Thursday, 21-year-old Berea native Connor Stevens was the last of the three to appeal his sentence as being too harsh.
 

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