NEW YORK (AP) - The imprisoned 91-year-old founder of what was once one of the nation's largest cable television companies is seeking early release from prison for medical reasons.
Federal Judge Kimba Wood in Manhattan directed prosecutors to respond by next Tuesday to the request from Adelphia Communications Corp. founder John Rigas.
His lawyers say family members have been told to "deal with end-of-life decisions" regarding Rigas, including the possibility of hospice care.
Rigas is scheduled to be released from prison in two years after serving a 15-year sentence in a looting and debt-hiding scandal.
He founded Adelphia in tiny Coudersport, Pa. It once was the nation's fifth-largest cable company.
At a 2005 sentencing, a judge said Rigas could be released early if he has less than three months to live.
