Mega-Swindler Bernard Madoff is to be sentenced today…and I love that grown men and women are actually arguing for the full 150-year sentence. Like it's a slap on the wrist if a 71 year old man only gets, say, a 100-year sentence. Those extra fifty years will teach him not to do it again. The L.A. Times article actually includes the statement that "In papers filed late Friday, prosecutors argued for the full 150-year term or at least a lifetime sentence."
That's kind of like saying of a convicted serial murderer, "We really think you should execute him twenty times but for God's sake, at least kill him once or twice!"
They also quote a lawyer — I don't think it's one of Madoff's — saying, "This isn't a guy who murdered people, who raped people or who sexually abused children. This is a guy who stole money, and it's terrible. But when you climb down through the hysteria, we don't generally give life sentences to people who steal a lot of money." That's true. Then again, criminals don't usually steal amounts equal to the entire gross national product of Uzbekistan.
"A lot of money" is kind of the key phrase here. A few days ago, I believe I used that term to describe the full retail price of Adobe InDesign. The amount Mr. Madoff made disappear is a wee bit more than "a lot of money."
What would I do if I were the judge? Easy. We throw the guy in prison for an indeterminate time. We give him a job in there…working in the laundry or making license plates or something. And we pay him for this at the full minimum wage, which is presently $6.55 an hour.
Then he stays in prison until he pays back the full $13 billion. With interest.