During yesterday's sentencing hearing, more than a dozen people spoke on Hornsby's behalf, asking for leniency and telling the judge that the former superintendent still had the potential to do a lot of good.
Marietta English, president of the Baltimore Teachers Union, described Hornsby as "a visionary educator" and "a person of compassion."
"I do plead leniency for this wonderful educator who has a vision for our children," English said.
Hornsby's two grown daughters, Yvette and Morgan, also asked the federal judge to minimize their father's prison sentence. "He spent his life making sure multiple people in my family were taken care of," Yvette Hornsby said, especially after the daughters' mother "became very unstable."
"I pray that he is able to continue to touch the lives of children everywhere," said Yvette Hornsby, who became a point of focus in the trial for her role in delivering a prepaid cell phone and code to Owens so Hornsby could secretly communicate with her amid the FBI investigation.
When Hornsby addressed the court, he appeared contrite, his voice trembling as he spoke. "I hope that for the missteps I have made and the things I have been convicted of, do not destroy what I can offer to my country."
But prosecutors painted Hornsby as someone driven by greed, criticizing him for using his own daughter to try to obstruct an investigation.
In considering the sentence, the judge said he was troubled that prosecutors were requesting more than 12 years, when others convicted of public corruption - including lobbyist Jack Abramhoff and former U.S. Rep. Randy Cunningham of California - were sentenced to less time.
Messite described Hornsby as "an obviously talented man" who has done "really remarkable things."
"It is a serious matter when public officials enrich themselves," Messite concluded.
Hornsby had been given the top job in the Prince George's schools in 2003 despite conflict-of-interest allegations that had ended his service as schools superintendent in Yonkers, N.Y.
Once in Maryland, Hornsby replaced Iris Metts, who had feuded openly with the school board and left the system deep in deficit. Hornsby had helped to raise test scores as an administrator in Yonkers and Houston, and the hope was that he would do the same in Prince George's, which had struggled to help underachieving students.
