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Forgive and forget

When Jim Black was corrupting the state legislature, none of his closest associates had the slightest clue he was doing anything wrong.

Now that he's been in the federal slammer for a couple of years, his friends think he's done enough time and should be released early.

Let's just forgive and forget. It's not like he's a real criminal, right?

I understand compassion, and I'm sure there's some reason to feel sorry for almost everyone in prison.

That doesn't mean they shouldn't be held fully accountable for what they've done.

Black was possibly the most powerful politician in North Carolina for many years. He used his position for his own gain and for the benefit of favored colleagues and his Democratic Party.

He took an overdue fall, and he fell hard.

I'm sorry for his family troubles.

But I don't think he should get any exceptional breaks, and I especially don't think other crooked politicians should get the idea they'll enjoy special privileges if they're ever caught.

Black's friends should help look after his wife, who's reportedly very ill. I'm disappointed they think "compassion" should override justice.

Addendum, from Bob Hall of Democracy NC:

Today's Charlotte Observer features a story by Jim Morrill on efforts by the friends of former Speaker Jim Black to reduce his prison sentence.

Democracy North Carolina has followed the Black saga closely; in fact, we filed the complaint about illegal contributions in his campaign that triggered the State Board of Election's investigation and the subsequent federal and state probes. The scope of his corruption shocked his friends, but more has yet to be told –- which takes us to the missing part of today's newspaper article:

Jim Black already had a chance to get a shorter prison sentence. By design, a considerable period of time was set aside between Black's conviction and his sentencing date, so prosecutors could benefit from his cooperation in their investigation of political corruption. But Black gave them no virtually help. In fact, he continued to hide the truth behind self-serving stories that lacked credibility, right through to his tale about the $500,000 "loan" from lobbyist Don Beason. Consequently, federal and state judges gave him what they considered a fair prison sentence. If Black wants reduced prison time now, does that mean he's changed his mind and is ready to tell the truth about what he knows about pay-to-play politics in North Carolina? It would be highly ironic if he wins shorter time now, not because of the merits of his case, but because of the lobbying clout of well-connected friends.

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Posted by Doug Clark on Monday, June 22, 2009 at 1:40 pm

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Seymour Hardy Floyd

June 22, 2009 - 5:13 pm EDT

I'd be curious to know if any of his friends ever took tough-on-crime stances. It wouldn't surprise me if they had, either informally or formally.

This is true with regard to discipline in the schools and it's true with regard to crime itself: we're very ready to take tough stances until our own loved ones and friends become the "victims" of punishment and sentencing. When people we know and care about are involved in despicable actions, we suddenly see and understand all sorts of mitigating factors that we think everyone else should appreciate also.

The Unabomber's brother was a rare bird, willing to accept and deal with the reality of what his beloved brother was doing, even if it meant seeing his brother suffer and even if meant losing his brother's love.

Doug

June 22, 2009 - 7:11 pm EDT

I hear that a lot about schools: Not MY child!

I would agree that Black's advocates aren't clamoring to let other crooks out of the pokey.

SueP

June 22, 2009 - 7:24 pm EDT

I think he should get the same sentence Scooter Libby got. Oh, wait...

tim tribbett

June 23, 2009 - 7:13 am EDT

You can't even compare the two.Black was maybe the most crooked politician in north carolina history and scooter libby was railroaded for revealing the the name of a covert operative who wasn't even covert. You have got to be kidding.

Andrew Clark

June 23, 2009 - 8:28 am EDT

You're right, you can't compare the two. Scooter Libby helped sell the fictitious justification for an illegal war and horrible torture, so he's an accessory to war crimes, while Black was a standard corrupt politician. But that's neither here nor there as far as his sentencing. The situations, though, are similar. Both of the two were convicted of a crime, and both of their friends want them let off too easy. Libby just happened to have more powerful friends.

This is in no way a defense of Black, who I hope serves his time.

SueP

June 23, 2009 - 11:16 am EDT

So people with higher level friends get off and others get made examples of. Cool. Glad to know that.

Honestly, I'm not in favor of letting Black out of jail. I just think the two sentences juxtaposed with one set of crimes much more heinous than the other are an interesting method of arguing for a sentence reduction. "Illegal war" v "standard corruption." I hope this becomes a new SCOTUS standard.

Doug

June 23, 2009 - 12:06 pm EDT

I'm not sure I'm following you here, Sue. You introduced Scooter Libby to the discussion: different crimes, different circumstances.

In most cases, judges have a sentencing range and use their discretion to set a sentence within that range. The Supreme Court isn't going to review sentences for the couple of million or so people incarcerated in this country to determine who got a longer sentence than whom and whether it was fair, nor is it going to interfere with the executive's constitutional power of clemency.

President Obama has the authority to grant Jim Black a pardon. If he does I expect he'd make some people in North Carolina unhappy. I don't think he'll do that.

As Bob Hall noted above, Black could have received a lesser sentence to begin with if he had cooperated with prosecutors. Whether the practice is right or wrong, a defendant's willingness to provide evidence against others can affect how much time he ends up spending in prison.

tim tribbett

June 23, 2009 - 2:26 pm EDT

Horrible torture? Do you mean mass excutions,putting people thru giant shredders,cutting off body parts,gasing thousands including children? The person who was doing that is now dead and gone thanks to our" illegal "war and Iraq is well on it's way to becoming a stable democratic nation.I think everyone thought Iraq had weapons of mass destruction including almost every other intelligence service in the world(including bill clinton). It was kind of tough to find out he didn't when he kept kicking out inspectors and firing at our planes.If you have any shred of evidence that that the people who were making the case for war diliberately mislead the country I would like to hear it. Liberals have such selective sympathy. They will cry their eyes out over us waterboarding a terrorist to get info to save lives but really don't seem to care about the real horrible torture and murder that goes on under despots like sadaam and castro.

Doug Johnson

June 23, 2009 - 6:06 am EDT

Not only should he serve his full time.
The minute he is released,state charges should be filed!
Heck, I forgot Cooper does not handle corruption in NC.
Seems I read he took a few million dollars of taxpayers money*, to wine and dine his lawyer friends.
Highway funds, I guess we d not need them!

Doug

June 23, 2009 - 9:24 am EDT

He was convicted of state crimes as well and received a lesser additional sentence.

Connie Mack Jr

June 23, 2009 - 5:21 pm EDT

It would be highly ironic if he wins shorter time now, not because of the merits of his case, but because of the lobbying clout of well-connected friends.* Doug

His chances of reduce time is None and more None! His friends have simply ask that he be move to be closer to his family which is standard in most State and Federal Correction programs.......Happens all the time if the Prisoner is a model inmate and creates no problems for the system.......If Speaker Black health continues to go south which it will, since he is 74. He will be given Diesel Therapy [ A term created in WW2 by American POW's when the Nazi's transfer uncontrolable POW's around Germany at night in the back of a Diesel Truck] and end up in St Louis [The Federal Main Health Center] or the other Federal Health Center [ Lexington, Ky].......I have met Jim Black a couple of times and he is simply a puppet in the Democrat establishment machine and was the perfect fall guy for any political corruption should it come to the Democrat establishment .....

I will remind you law and order hypocrite police state republicans with this quote from history!

" The degree of civilzation can judged by observing it's prisoners" * Dostoyevsky after doing a little time in the Czar Russian Imperial Prison system for expressing his political opinions......

Doug

June 23, 2009 - 5:50 pm EDT

Jim Black, political prisoner.

Connie Mack Jr

June 23, 2009 - 6:07 pm EDT

Jim Black, political prisoner.* Doug

Sure! What else did he do! Rob the House of International Pancakes and forget to leave a tip except to his stupid Republican idiot buddy, who by the way got the closest prison of his choice to be near his family......Are you considering a "Free Jim" march in San Francisco with me during the annual Gay Pride parade at the same time?

Connie Mack Jr

June 23, 2009 - 6:11 pm EDT

Doug! The Supreme Court does not review sentences, only if the sentence is under appeal by the defendent or his case...Another Thing! Judges do sentence about 99% of the time what Federal Guildlines remend with very little range at all. In 1995, under the Republican Revolution this law was change, along with voiding federal probation, which took away the Judges ablility or right to sentence what he really thought the defendent time should be according to the crime or his background......In short, the glorious leader of this Republican law change [ Newt] thought this would make the Republicans the true law and order boys to the public forever.....What this law has done is simply load up our prison systems with millions of prisoners [ about 70% of drug crimes] and expanded the Prison industrial complex to a profit made private corporate market that couldn't less about humanity and running a profit flesh slave market at taxpayers expense....

The country leads the world in prisoners incarcerated [ 4 million] and 20 million on Probation or Parole. No other country on this planet can even come close this Police state mentality nor will it sustain itself when the crunch comes big time.......