In America, its not about evidence for high profile cases, its if you can get the jury to like you. Like the presidency, its not about doing the right thing, its about playing to the religious sect. America is a game. Overhaul the judicial system.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/17/b...=1147924800&partner=homepage&pagewanted=print The New York Times May 17, 2006 Jury Begins Deliberations in Enron Trial By SIMON ROMERO HOUSTON, May 17 â Jurors in the criminal fraud trial of Enron's former chief executives, Jeffrey K. Skilling and Kenneth L. Lay, began their deliberations today after two and a half days of closing arguments by both sides. The case went to the jury after a federal prosecutor hit back this morning at assertions by defense lawyers that the government had coerced witnesses to fabricate testimony, in a final attempt to persuade jurors to convict the two men on criminal charges. Speaking in a calm, calculated tone as he delivered the rebuttal to the defense's emotional closing arguments, the prosecutor, Sean Berkowitz, said the tactics employed by lawyers for Mr. Skilling and Mr. Lay were an attempt to divert attention from lies the two men told on the witness stand. Mr. Berkowitz reserved specific but quietly stated ire for what he said was the "ranting and yelling" of Chip Lewis, a lawyer for Mr. Lay, who in one of the testiest moments of the trial had shouted in the direction of prosecutors on Tuesday, "Don't come to Houston, Texas, and lie to us!" Citing e-mail messages and transcripts of telephone calls with brokers, Mr. Berkowitz pointed to deceptive statements by Mr. Skilling and Mr. Lay that the prosecution said had illustrated efforts to prop up their personal fortunes even as they knew Enron was spiraling into bankruptcy protection. "Mr. Skilling used our nation's tragedy to cover his tracks," Mr. Berkowitz said, referring to statements from Mr. Skilling that the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, had moved him to sell stock in Enron instead of knowledge he had that the company was veering toward collapse. "That's offensive and he shouldn't get away with it." The rebuttal by Mr. Berkowitz brought to an end the closing arguments in the trial, with jurors now reviewing the 28 charges of fraud, conspiracy and insider trading against Mr. Skilling, and the 6 charges of fraud and conspiracy against Mr. Lay. Lawyers for the two men have contended throughout the trial that prosecutors overreached their authority in their efforts to build a strong criminal indictment. Mr. Berkowitz mocked the idea that witnesses testifying against Mr. Skilling and Mr. Lay had fabricated their testimony. The prosecutor cited the example of Ben F. Glisan Jr., a former Enron treasurer, who is cooperating with the government and has testified about fraudulent activities at the company. "He's six months from getting out of prison," Mr. Berkowitz said of Mr. Glisan. "The only way he can screw that up is by lying." Wrapping up his rebuttal with an appeal for jurors to consider the wealth and power of Mr. Skilling and Mr. Lay in contrast to the losses suffered by ordinary investors, Mr. Berkowitz said, "Don't go back and let the defendants, with their high-paid experts and their lawyers, buy their way out of this." "Black and white," Mr. Berkowitz told the jurors. "You can't buy justice; you have to earn it."
It is all part of America's Big Time Live Capitalist Show. All the Big Shots make big big money so Mr or Mrs Ordinary American now you get your chance to see, if a couple of them, randomly chosen, can be really punished big time .. and that means being put in the slammer for a long long time.
Can't believe this was sent to chit chat. The poll is about american business ethics and laws in referecence to the biggest business financial scandal of the last 50+ years....