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Was Blagojevich's sentence too harsh?

Sentence too harsh?

  • I believe the sentence was fair

    Votes: 31 63.3%

  • I believe the sentence was too harsh

    Votes: 12 24.5%

  • I think he should have gotten 10yrs, but no more

    Votes: 3 6.1%

  • I believe he has been humiliated enough, no need for jail, just fine him

    Votes: 3 6.1%
  • Total voters
    49
There is no option for "too lenient".
 
herenow1 said:
He got one yr less than what the prosecution(15-20) asked for. Some think it's not fair that he gets more time in jail than criminals who are a physical danger to society. What do you think?


Blagojevich gets 14 years in prison for corruption - BusinessWeek
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He should have gotten a harsher sentence, if you ask me.

He's a political official who abused his authority. The people entrusted him to legal authority and political power over them in the trust that they would use it in their best interests. Rather, he attempted to use his legal authority and political power over others to benefit himself monetarily. He broke the trust the people placed into him to use the power they gave him to benefit his own self-interest.

That's an incredible wrong. And politicians who do that can cause pain to too many people when they abuse the powers entrusted to them.

He should've gotten 20 years, if you ask me.
 
apdst said:
He didn't do it all by himself. He had help and it's just a shame that he's taking the fall for the rest of them.

This clown didn't dream all this up on his own.
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Then the prosecutors should do their job and go after them too.
 
herenow1 said:
He got one yr less than what the prosecution(15-20) asked for. Some think it's not fair that he gets more time in jail than criminals who are a physical danger to society. What do you think?

Blagojevich gets 14 years in prison for corruption - BusinessWeek
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I think his sentence was too harsh simply because he never actually did anything. He threatened to, but did not.

The fact is that he wanted to negotiate for the seat. This is the sort of common political behavior, in Illinois particularly, that is not severe enough to be worthy of 14 years and the fact that he and he alone was wiretapped when countless of other politicians are engaging in similar actions tells me that this was more political than anything else. And when I say political, I don't just mean along party lines. Daley was a corrupt son of a bitch, but he has a damn immunity shield around him.
 
Thorgasm said:
Ironically, when cops break the law, they are given a break for their service.
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Umm nice try no cigar...a cop isnt a gov nor anywhere near that status and if cop did what blago did on DUTY they would have gotten more time...
 
Maybe if more of these idiots who take the trust we place in them as elected officials and throw it in our faces by looking out for themselves and their pocketbooks instead of we the people were punished and given harsh sentences... maybe our government and states and cities and municipalities would start working more for us instead of the other way around. I think he got what he deserved... and I think the others out there who have done that and much much worse should get the same treatment. Unfortunately, most times we just look the other way.
 
The judge lowered his intended sentence because Blago finally (directly before sentencing) accepted some responsibility and apologized to the citizens of Illinois. The judge also castigated Blago for his talk-show-circuit-I'm-innocent-circus knowing full well the prosecution could not respond.

I think 14 years is a just sentence. Blago must surrender to the US Marshal on February 16 before noon. According to the sentencing guidelines, he must serve 85% of the sentence.

With hindsight, most criminal lawyers familiar with the case say Blago should have plea-bargained after the first trial. They feel the prosecution would have settled for 7 years.
 
herenow1 said:
He got one yr less than what the prosecution(15-20) asked for. Some think it's not fair that he gets more time in jail than criminals who are a physical danger to society. What do you think?


Blagojevich gets 14 years in prison for corruption - BusinessWeek
Click to expand...

He lied on the stand. Judges don't like that. He could have thrown himself on the mercy of the court, but went on TV instead and made an ass of himself.

It's harsh. But his apologies and humility were too little too late.
 
There's no option for bullet in the back of his head...
 
It was fair. I'm sick of corrupt politicians having their hands slapped, being handed a 3 year sentence at club fed, then being let out in a few months for "good behavior." It's about time that corrupt politicians are handed prison sentences appropriate to their crimes. If this happened every time a politician was caught taking bribes and selling favors, we might make a slight dent in the overall corruption that permeates our entire government, on every level.
 
The guy tried to sell a senate seat and was a corrupt bastard. Jail with him.
 
DiAnna said:
It was fair. I'm sick of corrupt politicians having their hands slapped, being handed a 3 year sentence at club fed, then being let out in a few months for "good behavior." It's about time that corrupt politicians are handed prison sentences appropriate to their crimes.
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I'd say it shows how skewed the American perception of justice is, that being locked in a cage for 14 years is considered a "sentence appropriate to the crime" for someone who poses no physical danger to society and who never committed a crime that would suggest otherwise. In theory the reason that we have prisons (as opposed to any other form of punishment) is because prisons remove dangerous people from society. Once we start caging people who we wouldn't be afraid to interact with in society, it is morally unconscionable.

TurtleDude said:
based on what other criminals get it was too severe but I cannot get too upset with Blowjobabitch doing 14 years.
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Another hilarious rape joke. Good one. :roll:
 
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Kandahar said:
...that being locked in a cage for 14 years is considered a "sentence appropriate to the crime" for someone who poses no physical danger to society and who never committed a crime that would suggest otherwise.
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The jury found Blago guilty on numerous criminal counts and the judge agreed. Blago will probably wind up in a light-security prison, hardly a cage. As the judge noted, one need not pose a physical danger to society in order to to inflict harm on that society. The judge valued these crimes not on the $1.5 million price tag for the Senate seat, but for the incalculable damage and erosion inflicted on the public trust.
 
Tashah said:
The jury found Blago guilty on numerous criminal counts and the judge agreed. Blago will probably wind up in a light-security prison, hardly a cage. As the judge noted, one need not pose a physical danger to society in order to to inflict harm on that society. The judge valued these crimes not on the $1.5 million price tag for the Senate seat, but for the incalculable damage and erosion inflicted on the public trust.
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You're right. He'll probably be sent to some chicken **** work farm and I doubt he'd make it more than 3-4 years without getting out for health reasons. However, I think what Kandahar is trying to get at is that the US justice system and our views of it are severely lacking when we give more time for white collar crimes than violent offenses. Personally, I think the sentence is way too harsh for the crime. A 1.5 million dollar fine and 2-3 years tops would have been more than enough. 14 years hanging out with even the pettiest of criminals seems like they're trying to set an example with the guy.
 
Hatuey said:
You're right. He'll probably be sent to some chicken **** work farm and I doubt he'd make it more than 3-4 years without getting out for health reasons. However, I think what Kandahar is trying to get at is that the US justice system and our views of it are severely lacking when we give more time for white collar crimes than violent offenses. Personally, I think the sentence is way too harsh for the crime. A 1.5 million dollar fine and 2-3 years tops would have been more than enough. 14 years hanging out with even the pettiest of criminals seems like they're trying to set an example with the guy.
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federal sentences are served completely with perhaps a day off for each month of good behavior. a 14 year sentence is going to be at least 13+ years. The only way he gets a reduction is if on appeal the sentence is overturned or a president commutes or pardons him
 
Well, I'll be damned !
And in a most pleasant way. I am in the majority.
"Punishment" should be effective and inexpensive, throwing him to rot in jail accomplishes little, and is the old way of doing things.
However , this character will bear watching, probably for as long as he lives...This ,I think, will still be cheaper than incarceration, the conservative method of punishment..
 
justabubba said:
that appears to speak more to the too light punishment assigned to child molesters
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So very true.
Society's children should be much better protected than society's so-called adults.
We do need reform here.
 
Psychoclown said:
I have zero sympathy for corrupt public officials. I can't vote in this poll because I think the sentence was too lenient. Blago deserved the max.
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And, exactly what good comes from a harsh prison term ?
Yes ! He was corrupt, and those who were corrupted, are they that much better ??
 
earthworm said:
And, exactly what good comes from a harsh prison term ?
Yes ! He was corrupt, and those who were corrupted, are they that much better ??
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It's a lesson to those who would cheapen the democratic system. Blago is just Nixon with better hair.
 
i can't wait to see if he changes names to "protect the innocent" in his memoirs, which will be carefully written. i can't help but think he is taking a bullet for the team, including obama. it's a dirty political culture in illinois. i hope he does interviews. i think he was railroaded. i don't think we know 10% of the whole.
 
washamericom said:
i can't wait to see if he changes names to "protect the innocent" in his memoirs, which will be carefully written. i can't help but think he is taking a bullet for the team, including obama. it's a dirty political culture in illinois. i hope he does interviews. i think he was railroaded. i don't think we know 10% of the whole.
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So you hate Obama so much you're going to defend Blagojevich now? You realize that he's a Democrat, right?

:lamo

Politics is dirty everywhere. It's a dirty business. If you want to get ahead in politics, you end up associating with some not so wonderful people by virtue of them being in your party. That's true no matter what side of the spectrum you're on.
 
rocket88 said:
So you hate Obama so much you're going to defend Blagojevich now? You realize that he's a Democrat, right?

:lamo

Politics is dirty everywhere. It's a dirty business. If you want to get ahead in politics, you end up associating with some not so wonderful people by virtue of them being in your party. That's true no matter what side of the spectrum you're on.
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you people are too quick to accuse people of hate, which one time was a pretty grave charge. there is a distinction between hate and disagreement of policy or performance, or search for truth. hate and love have become trite. as steve martin said "how can you love a floor wax". when you say hate, it's a pretty strong term. i really don't think i hate obama. i'm not sure i hate anybody. do you ??

if i ran a poll asking what american city was known for a style of corrupt politcs, how would that play. i was born and raised in chicago in the 60/70's. it's hard to describe. i will agree with you that politics can be dirty everywhere, but four illinois governors will have done time, since i was born, including one republican. i do kind of like blago, i might even have crossed paths with him in high school. it's a fabulous story. i don't think he should serve 14 years.
 
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Tashah said:
The jury found Blago guilty on numerous criminal counts and the judge agreed. Blago will probably wind up in a light-security prison, hardly a cage.
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A light-security prison is better than the alternative, but if it involves any prison bars, sharpshooters, and/or sodomy then it's barbaric.

As the judge noted, one need not pose a physical danger to society in order to to inflict harm on that society. The judge valued these crimes not on the $1.5 million price tag for the Senate seat, but for the incalculable damage and erosion inflicted on the public trust.
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Prison should be reserved for those who do pose a physical danger, who need to be isolated for the protection of everyone else. Erosion of the public trust can be punished in ways other than cages. House arrest, ankle bracelet, public shaming, heavy fines, community service, barring him from ever holding office again, etc. Similar to the ways we could/should punish most other crimes. The fact that locking people in cages is the default punishment for any wrongdoing whatsoever is unconscionable.
 
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