Comments on: Skilling is not a crack whore, it seems to me http://www.truthonthemarket.com/2006/10/24/skilling-is-not-a-crack-whore-it-seems-to-me/ Academic commentary on law, business, economics and more Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:12:46 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: anon http://www.truthonthemarket.com/2006/10/24/skilling-is-not-a-crack-whore-it-seems-to-me/comment-page-1/#comment-25501 anon Thu, 26 Oct 2006 21:38:37 +0000 http://www.truthonthemarket.com/2006/10/24/skilling-is-not-a-crack-whore-it-seems-to-me/#comment-25501 Defending Skilling Defending the Indefensible---forget drug sentences---if people really where concerned about truth, justice and the American way they would be comparing Skillings sentence to the sentences handedout out to black defendants in that wholly mundane area of white collar crime known as mortgage fraud. For starters, consider Marvis Bownes who got 210 months--17 plus years---for $2.5 million in land flips in East St. Louis. United States v. Bownes, No. 03-3016 (7th Cir. 04/26/2005) The sentence given to a black defendant in a WCC mortgage fraud case is often 3 to 4 times the sentence given to a white defendant To stack up to the Bownes, Skilling would have had to have been sentenced to 30 times 17 years. The reason that commentors don't like "geeks" on this one is that the tone and content of the remarks makes it plain that nothing is taking place but "uber pandering" Defending Skilling Defending the Indefensible—forget drug sentences—if people really where concerned about truth, justice and the American way they would be comparing Skillings sentence to the sentences handedout out to black defendants in that wholly mundane area of white collar crime known as mortgage fraud. For starters, consider Marvis Bownes who got 210 months–17 plus years—for $2.5 million in land flips in East St. Louis. United States v. Bownes, No. 03-3016 (7th Cir. 04/26/2005)
The sentence given to a black defendant in a WCC mortgage fraud case is often 3 to 4 times the sentence given to a white defendant To stack up to the Bownes, Skilling would have had to have been sentenced to 30 times 17 years.

The reason that commentors don’t like “geeks” on this one is that the tone and content of the remarks makes it plain that nothing is taking place but “uber pandering”

]]> By: ja http://www.truthonthemarket.com/2006/10/24/skilling-is-not-a-crack-whore-it-seems-to-me/comment-page-1/#comment-25018 ja Wed, 25 Oct 2006 20:17:54 +0000 http://www.truthonthemarket.com/2006/10/24/skilling-is-not-a-crack-whore-it-seems-to-me/#comment-25018 Is it really that fine of a line between "risky, innovative, entrepreneurial behavior" and claiming profits that don't exist? You also neglect to factor in the social costs of behavior that causes the investments of thousands of people to evaporate. Finally, I don't understand the title of your post. Are you saying that "crack whores" deserve 24 year sentences, but Skilling doesn't? If so, didn't Skilling's crime, with its wide ranging effect on investors, have far more social costs than a "crack whore's"? Is it really that fine of a line between “risky, innovative, entrepreneurial behavior” and claiming profits that don’t exist?

You also neglect to factor in the social costs of behavior that causes the investments of thousands of people to evaporate.

Finally, I don’t understand the title of your post. Are you saying that “crack whores” deserve 24 year sentences, but Skilling doesn’t? If so, didn’t Skilling’s crime, with its wide ranging effect on investors, have far more social costs than a “crack whore’s”?

]]> By: joe http://www.truthonthemarket.com/2006/10/24/skilling-is-not-a-crack-whore-it-seems-to-me/comment-page-1/#comment-24609 joe Tue, 24 Oct 2006 18:40:06 +0000 http://www.truthonthemarket.com/2006/10/24/skilling-is-not-a-crack-whore-it-seems-to-me/#comment-24609 It's the certainty of punishment that acts as deterence; severity of punishment is to salve the pain of the victims. The government did the right thing here. It’s the certainty of punishment that acts as deterence; severity of punishment is to salve the pain of the victims. The government did the right thing here.

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