French top court to rule on Le Pen's appeal by early April, before presidential vote

Full text

PARIS — France’s highest court said Wednesday it would rule on far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen’s latest appeal of an embezzlement conviction by early April, before voters head to the polls.

Le Pen’s first appeal concluded Tuesday, when a three-judge panel upheld a lower court’s guilty verdict and sentenced her to a year under house arrest. The 57-year-old lawmaker later announced she would run for president and again appeal the verdict, this time to the Court of Cassation. In the French legal system, appeals temporarily lift most sentences until the legal process concludes.

The court’s announcement means the case will hover over Le Pen’s campaign and potentially set up a dramatic few days before the first round of the vote on April 18. Le Pen, who polls show is the front-runner in the contest, could be found guilty and sentenced to house arrest just weeks before winning a presidential election.

This developing story will be updated .