White Collar Crime Prof Blog

In the News & Around the Blogosphere

John Pacenti, Daily Business Review, law.com,Former Law Firm COO Charged in Alleged Money-Laundering Conspiracy

Washington Post, Reuters, Indonesia launches special jail for the corrupt

MercuryNews.com, AP,Not guilty pleas in SoCal political corruption

Steven Cohen, Huffington Post, The Continued Corruption of New York's Politics

CBC News, Quebec corruption probe nets 2 more arrests

Pter Krouse, The Plain Dealer, Lawyer Joseph O'Malley pleads guilty as part of county corruption probe

DOJ Press Release, Four Individuals and Three Corporations Indicted for Roles in Mail and Wire Fraud Conspiracies at a New York City Hospital

DOJ Press Release, Antiques Dealer Agrees to Plead Guilty to Federal Charges Related to Sale of Fake Picasso for $2 Million

Mike Scarcella, BLT Blog, Former Special Counsel Scott Bloch Pleads Guilty to Contempt

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Ted Olson Takes on Paul Minor's Case

Former United States Solicitor General Theodore B. Olson will represent Mississippi attorney Paul Minor in his upcoming appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States.  Olson, now with the law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, moved immediately into action with an extension of time application that provides clues as to the arguments that will be forthcoming. For openers Minor's convictions are tied to the "honest services" statute, a statute under review this term in three cases (Skilling, Black, and Weyrauch). Also mentioned is the tension between the Fifth Circuit's decision in Minor's case and the McCormick and Sun-Diamond Supreme Court decisions that necessitate a quid pro quo.  The Fifth Circuit had previously vacated the convictions premised on section 666 and remanded the case for resentencing.  The Fifth Circuit in its decision also noted that both the McCormick and Evans cases "left open the question of what level of specificity is required to prove a quid pro quo in regard to the 'quo' or agreed-upon official act."  What is particularly fascinating about this case is that it has "honest services" but also includes bribery allegations.  If 1346 is unconstitutionally vague this issues may be resolved.  But if the Court distinguishes bribery cases under honest services fraud, it may open up other arguments on when a bribery would fall within the reach of the "honest services" fraud statute.

Motion - Download Minor--Extension Application (2)

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A Reasonable Sentence

There is growing support in the case of Sholom Rubashkin for the court not to follow the government's sentencing plan. After all, it is extreme for the government to want to give this first offender something like "three decades" or a life sentence -

Mike Scarcella, BLT Blog, More Former AGs Question Sentence Sought in Bank Fraud Case

Professor Alan M. Dershowitz here

Professor Paul Cassell here

Other professors here

I agree with these professors and former prosecutors.  This type of white collar crime does not deserve a sentence in excess of a second degree murderer. In the post-Booker world, we need to see more courts looking beyond mathematical computations or mere loss figures, and looking at the individual offender. Hopefully this court will do just that.

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