PhillyTablet Inquirer Daily News
Mobile
Home Delivery
philly.com
email
font size
comments
1
options
 
Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Bernie Madoff's long goodbye
Bernard Madoff

Bernard Madoff's 150-year prison sentence has sparked some debate as to whether the sentence is fair. Many of Madoff's victims cheered the federal judge's sentence for orchestrating what Madoff said a $50 billion Ponzi scheme that hurt scores of investors. Madoff's attorney Ira Sorkin called the sentence "absurd." Sorkin said: "My reaction is the justice system is not based on vengeance and it's not built on symbolism...150 years is absurd under the guidelines under the sentencing statutes."

The Inquirer editorial today said the sentence fit the crime, which was massive and went on for years.

Daily News columnist Elmer Smith says Madoff got off easy. He said prosecutors should have pressed him to cooperate and give up others who may have played a role in the scheme. Indeed, prosecutors will often work out plea deals with low-level conspirators in order to get to the big fish, but in this case Madoff was the top man. Smith raises an interesting point that perhaps the feds don't want Madoff's help in determining why the SEC failed to investigate allegations of the Ponzi scheme that date back years.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press is reporting that prosecutors may charge 10 others linked to the scheme.

What do you think? Was Madoff's sentence fair or too harsh? 
Posted by Paul Davies @ 1:34 PM  Permalink | 1 comment
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:54 PM, 06/30/2009
    Unfortunately, there is no way under American law to compel Madoff to rat out his accomplices, much less his family (considerable overlap there). However, he may have a change of heart if his prison treatment is beyond what he can stand, yet still be legal. Send him to Supermax in Colorado, where the toughest and most notorious prisoners are stuffed, and see if the manicured Mr. Madoff might have a change of heart about cooperation.
    — Palestra Jon


1 comments
About The Inquirer Editorial Board
Welcome. You're reading the Inquirer Editorial Board's Say What? opinion blog. We hope you enjoy commentary from the Editorial and Commentary pages, in addition to up-to-the-minute opinion postings that appear here for the first time. Here are thumbnail bio sketches and contact information for the editors and writers who produce the newspaper's opinion pages, as well as an archive of recent cartoons by Tony Auth. (Our blog roll follows the ad below.) Please check out the videos from our One Great Idea project. And don't miss our daily online reader polls.
Join on Facebook    Follow on Twitter

Advertise Here