Bill Mastro's upcoming sentencing

[Peter_Spaeth]

That people may have cooperated does not mean they themselves did not commit fraud, does it?

[calvindog]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

That people may have cooperated does not mean they themselves did not commit fraud, does it?

Of course not. But are you suggesting that if I represented someone who committed a prior fraud but then cooperated with the government that I'm enabling their past fraud? Or am I in fact doing quite the opposite, helping to put an end to fraud?

Here's what I never did: shill bid on my friends' Mastro lots and then communicated with the Mastro folks about sending the lots I won back to the consignor.

[Peter_Spaeth]

You protest too much, who suggested anything about enablement of past fraud? I was merely pointing out that cooperating with the government doesn't mean people are necessarily honorable, which seemed implicit in your response to Leon.

[calvindog]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

You protest too much, who suggested anything about enablement of past fraud? I was merely pointing out that cooperating with the government doesn't mean people are necessarily honorable, which seemed implicit in your response to Leon.

I'm not protesting too much at all. He clearly claimed that I represent card doctors as half my practice (false -- hobby fraud is about 1 percent of my practice) and that the more bad people in the hobby, the more money I make, suggesting that I'm an enabler of fraud. Maybe I'm not quite the right guy to go after as being a fraud profiteer in this hobby. Just a thought.

[Peter_Spaeth]

So what percentage is it?

[Leon]

I disagree. I think we need to keep talking about what you do and who you do it for Jeff. I think I can name at least 5 of your clients. Shall I?

Originally Posted by calvindog

I'm not protesting too much at all. He clearly claimed that I represent card doctors as half my practice (false -- hobby fraud is about 1 percent of my practice) and that the more bad people in the hobby, the more money I make, suggesting that I'm an enabler of fraud. Maybe I'm not quite the right guy to go after as being a fraud profiteer in this hobby. Just a thought.

[calvindog]

Originally Posted by Leon

I disagree. I think we need to keep talking about what you do and who you do it for Jeff. I think I can name at least 5 of your clients. Shall I?

Sure and would you mind if I discuss what you called me for last year? Because you would be on my roster.

[Leon]

I won't name names as that would be even more uncool than you have been to me.
Lets just say many on this board find you very hypocritical. As I said, I think you are a good lawyer and that is why I called you. But your incessant badgering of me is quite over the top. Keep leading the charge but leave me out of it on this case. These guys will get their just dues, I am very confident.

Originally Posted by calvindog

Sure and would you mind if I discuss what you called me for last year? Because you would be on my roster.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

That people may have cooperated does not mean they themselves did not commit fraud, does it?

Cooperation is what I hate worst about our legal system. If someone is a complete piece of garbage they can get a plea deal for screwing over others(usually friends). Yes the others did something wrong also and should be punished but the piece of garbage that turned them in to get the plea deal should get the pleasure of being the play toy in prison.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by bnorth

Cooperation is what I hate worst about our legal system. If someone is a complete piece of garbage they can get a plea deal for screwing over others(usually friends). Yes the others did something wrong also and should be punished but the piece of garbage that turned them in to get the plea deal should get the pleasure of being the play toy in prison.

They might also get immunity. But that is, for better or worse, a judgment call prosecutors sometimes need to make. I don't have a quarrel with that, in the abstract.