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Free Plaxico Burress. Leave Bernie Ebbers in stir

So let's see whether I've got this straight. A white collar crook responsible for the biggest fraud in U.S. corporate history wants a presidential pardon. Meanwhile, a head case of a footballer who ran afoul of my native city's handgun laws may very well receive a mandatory prison sentence.

Jupiter is definitely not aligned with Mars.

By now, you're doubtless familiar with the public travail of one Plaxico Burress, the star receiver for (my beloved) New York Giants, who was arraigned for criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. Last week, Burress was … Read more

Former WorldCom CEO seeks clemency

WorldCom's former CEO Bernard Ebbers is seeking clemency from George Bush in the final days of his presidency.

Ebbers, who was convicted of helping mastermind an $11 billion accounting fraud, is asking the president to reduce his 25-year sentence. Ebbers has filed a petition for commutation to the Office of the Pardon Attorney. And the petition is under review, a Justice Department spokeswoman told Reuters.

The U.S. Constitution grants the president the power to pardon convicted felons either erasing their convictions or reducing their prison sentences. And it's common in the last days of an administration for … Read more

Say sayonara to Silicon Valley's enemy No. 1

He once ranked among the most feared members of the legal profession. Now he's about to become a jailbird.

The disgraced attorney Bill Lerach on Monday was sentenced to two years in prison for his involvement in a kickback scheme involving class action lawsuits. As part of the deal, he agreed to forfeit $7.75 million in unlawful gains.

So closes the books on one of the more controversial bit players in Silicon Valley's history--at least in this incarnation. Americans love second acts, so who knows? Maybe after getting out of stir, Lerach will reinvent himself. But I'… Read more