That’s the title of my piece this week in The Hill. From the intro:
Let’s put aside whether we really want cheating on a test or lying on a resume to become a federal crime. And let’s also put aside whether we really want cheating on a test to result in federal prison time. A larger problem with the criminal justice system is being exposed with the college admissions scandal — federal prosecutors are bullies. As we are seeing in the college admissions case, they bully defendants to plead guilty in at least 5 ways:
And one of the ways:
Threatening charges against family members. In other words, “Plead guilty or your family will pay!” Criminal defense lawyers across the country can empathize with this threat because it’s frequently made by federal prosecutors. And in this case, prosecutors have sent target letters to some of the adult children of people charged. The message is clear — if you plead guilty and fall on the sword, we will not go after your kids. Shame on prosecutors for using those kinds of threats to force guilty pleas.
Let me know your thoughts on the rest of the piece before you turn your attention to the Mueller report.
The SDFLA Blog is dedicated to providing news and notes regarding federal practice in the Southern District of Florida. The New Times calls the blog "the definitive source on South Florida's federal court system." All tips on court happenings are welcome and will remain anonymous. Please email David Markus at dmarkus@markuslaw.com
On general principle no of course the admission scandal clients don't need prison. On the other hand neither do many low level drug offenders, immigration offenders or fraud offenders who are getting ridiculous amounts of time. And guess what the offenders needlessly doing all the time are mostly poor people of color. So from a racial and class equality point of view - fuck these admission scandal clients and let them go to jail. Maybe if more of these elites had to experience our prison industrial complex for offenses that shouldn't carry prison time, things would change. This reminds me of OJ. Its not like black people really thought he was innocent. Its that for the first time (or at least so it seemed), one of US got away with murder like the rich and/or white elites have been doing throughout our history. So you know what if poor brown people are going to continue filling our prisons for BS drug offenses, then the rich elites can start filling the prisons for BS fraud. At least that is one point of view.
ReplyDeleteScottAfrica
Don't do the crime if you can't do the time
ReplyDelete"I will not do so, and my wife would not want me to do so. I want you to know the office of independent counsel can indict my dog, they can indict my cat, but I'm not going to lie about the president, I'm not going to lie about the first lady or anyone else. My wife and I are innocent of the charges brought today."
ReplyDelete- Web Hubbell, after Ken Starr indicted his wife
As Benny Goodman put it, “Take my wife . . .PLEASE!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt was henny youngman not benny goodman.
ReplyDeleteNo, not Benny Goodman--HENNY YOUNGMAN..
ReplyDeleteIf you can't do the time, don't do the crime. If you don't want your family to go to jail, don't get them involved in your crimes. Pretty simple.
ReplyDeleteThe rules are set up to benefit the rich. Rich and famous? Even more so. Take advantage of the rules. If they had donated the $1/2M to U.S.C. directly, and maybe lend her name and image to U.S.C., her daughters would have been allowed in. No laws broken. No jail time for Aunt Becky.
ReplyDeleteYes this an outrage! If you want to get your kids into a nice University, pay for a table in the quad or a section of the library like other decent people. Geez! Not paying a bribe directly to the president of the school is un-American. Lets all remember the lesson of Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School and lets get back to getting the kids in college the old fashioned way.
ReplyDelete