Ferriero found guilty

Yayyyyyyyyyyy Joe Goes To Jail!!! (4.00 / 1)

There IS some justice now and then!   Thanks God the system isn't yet totally fixed and totally corrupt, there is some hope!!!

Speaking of hope, I hope that the prosecutors present Ferriero with an option to give up other corrupt actors in exchange for recommending a lighter or even a suspended sentence.

If Ferriero, ever told EVERYTHING he knew about EVERYONE who was involved in corrupt activity it would be well worth seeing him be a totally free man.

Barring such an agreement, the judge should throw the book at Ferriero and sentence him to the maximum penalty, whatever it is.

No doubt, his attorney's will appeal (and ask that Joe remain free pending all appeals) all the way.....and it wouldn't surprise me if the Republican appointee dominated SCOTUS ends up overturning......but for now, let's celebrate this modicum of victory.

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by: Nick Lento @ Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 20:12:57 PM UTC

yes (0.00 / 0)

His attorney has already said there will be an appeal.

Frank LoBiondo Record and Jon Runyan Watch

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by: Hopeful @ Thu Oct 22, 2009 at 21:21:58 PM UTC

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Maximum sentence & honest services fraud (0.00 / 0)

1) The maximum sentence Ferriero can receive is 20 years. It's doubtful he'll get that much.  

2)  An appeal, which will happen, actually has merit (probably more merit than most of Ferriero's defenses in the trial).  The jury only convicted Ferriero of conspiracy and mail fraud with regards to Oury's honest services, and not with regards to money.  The whole idea of honest services fraud is being challenged in the courts presently; in fact, this term, the US Supreme Court will hear a case challenging the constitutionality of the "honest services" statute to determine if it is unconstitutionally vague or not.

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by: NJCentrist @ Fri Oct 23, 2009 at 01:19:14 AM UTC

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Good point (0.00 / 0)

Did you see Scalia or Alito (I forget which) point out that if this honest services precedent from lower levels stands, then any worker who takes a sick day without serious medical cause can be criminally prosecuted for theft?

Or an employee who carries home a paper clip by mistake.  The law is the law.  The concept has to apply equally to everyone.  It can't be misused to convict someone on whom you can't pin  what you really want to pin. That's not justice.  Not in America.

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by: Jim33 @ Fri Oct 23, 2009 at 12:24:47 PM UTC

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I did see that, and they're right. (0.00 / 0)

This isn't just about Joe Ferriero, or even public corruption...this is about federal prosecutors abusing the law.  Vague laws like the RICO Act and the honest services law have allowed federal prosecutors to pick out a target before deciding what crime, exactly, they have committed.  It's one thing to hold a sting; it's another thing entirely to send folks to jail for something as poorly defined as racketeering or honest services fraud.  Don't get me wrong -- guys like Ferriero or Blagojevich (accused of conspiring to commit honest services fraud in addition to soliciting bribes) make me sick.  But when no one knows exactly what "honest services" means, and it's not defined in the statute, that simply lends itself to prosecutorial abuse.  Just look at the case of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman.  
And for the record, I have no problem with RICO when it's used to take down Mafia godfathers.  But when it's used as a weapon to pressure a defendant into pleading guilty, that's flat-out wrong.  

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by: NJCentrist @ Sat Oct 24, 2009 at 15:10:34 PM UTC

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Good work by the jury (0.00 / 0)

I believe the jury returned the right verdict. As I had predicted in my most recent diary, Ferriero was guilty of conspiracy and two counts of mail fraud, but not guilty of the mail fraud charges regarding Oury's financial disclosure forms. Those charges had the weakest case and the jury was right to decide "not guilty." However, based on the testimony in the trial, I do believe that Ferriero was guilty of the three charges he was convicted of.  

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by: NJCentrist @ Fri Oct 23, 2009 at 01:10:14 AM UTC

This does not end pay to play (4.00 / 1)

I saw a comment on the Record's Ferriero trial blog stating that his conviction will end pay to play in New Jersey. While I wish that were so, I think it is wishful thinking.

Ferriero's conviction merely removes one person who used his political connections to make money through politics.

There will always be greedy people willing to take his place. The only thing that will stop pay to play is a reform of the entire campaign finance laws so that campaigns are publicly financed. As long as money is the route to successful campaigns there will always be Ferrieros.

It is impossible, in my opinion, to ask people to donate thousands of dollars to political campaigns without being beholden to them in some way. It just cannot be avoided and sooner or later greed will rear its head and then we wind up with more crooks.

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by: Jersey Devil @ Fri Oct 23, 2009 at 14:28:58 PM UTC

You are 100% correct. (0.00 / 0)

That's wishful thinking.  In New Jersey, the political machine system of unelected party powerbrokers -- and their tremendous influence over our state government -- is so thoroughly entrenched that one conviction can't end it, nor could 20 convictions.  I don't think we can ever completely take money out of the system, but we can certainly pass comprehensive reforms to stop corruption in its tracks.  I hope whoever is elected governor -- Christie, Corzine, or Daggett -- has the courage to stand up to the party machines and enact such reforms.  Because over the past four years, Corzine has not been "unbossed and unbought," although with his considerable wealth he certainly could have been.  If he is re-elected, I would hope he would quit deferring to the party machinery all the time.  

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by: NJCentrist @ Sat Oct 24, 2009 at 15:02:50 PM UTC

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