# Bernie Madoff sentenced to 150 years **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 29, 2009, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-madoff-sentenced-to-150-years/501353 "2009-06-29T16:12:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-madoff-sentenced-to-150-years/501353/1 "2009-06-29T16:12:57Z")
CNN story [here](http://money.cnn.com/2009/06/29/news/economy/madoff_prison_sentence/index.htm?postversion=2009062909). The judge gave him the maximum amount requested by the prosecutor. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-madoff-sentenced-to-150-years/501353/2 "2009-06-29T16:14:19Z")
So how long before he Ken Lays us? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-madoff-sentenced-to-150-years/501353/3 "2009-06-29T16:40:51Z")
My two favorite (apocryphal) sentencing stories: 1. An elderly white-collar criminal is sentenced to 50 years. He says to the judge, “Your Honor, I’m not sure I’ll live to serve that entire sentence.” The judge says, not unkindly, “Just do your best.” 2. Tough judge tells a defendant, “Your parole officer has not been born yet.” ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-madoff-sentenced-to-150-years/501353/4 "2009-06-29T17:32:30Z")
Good. The bar has been set. Next guy (or gal) that comes along whether they are 20 or 100 years old will not have any chance of seeing freedom again if they knowingly betray and crush the trust and dreams of people regardless of their financial status. How unreasonable was it that the defense thought 12 years was appropriate for a man (who has not been compliant with prosecutors) who is covering for his wife, brothers and sons, and taking the full blame by saying it was done solely by him? Investigators must continue to track down the paper trail and pressure those who unduly benefited from this scheme. I think it will be another 5 to 10 years before we know all the players and that they have been dealt with. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Weird\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-madoff-sentenced-to-150-years/501353/5 "2009-06-29T17:38:31Z")
Huzzah! > [@Yeticus\_Rex](#): > > Investigators must continue to track down the paper trail and pressure those who unduly benefited from this scheme. I think it will be another 5 to 10 years before we know all the players and that they have been dealt with. Yes, I hope they continue to investigate, particularly Madoff’s wife and sons. I find it very hard to believe that they are completely innocent in all this. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-madoff-sentenced-to-150-years/501353/6 "2009-06-29T17:39:23Z")
[R. Allen Stanford] Oh shit. [/R. Allen Stanford] ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-madoff-sentenced-to-150-years/501353/7 "2009-06-29T17:44:04Z")
> [@Yeticus\_Rex](#): > > How unreasonable was it that the defense thought 12 years was appropriate for a man (who has not been compliant with prosecutors) who is covering for his wife, brothers and sons, and taking the full blame by saying it was done solely by him? The defense didn’t “think” anything. They did their job which was to try to be the best advocate for their client that they could be. Such is our legal system. That said, the actual sentence was appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-madoff-sentenced-to-150-years/501353/8 "2009-06-29T17:49:57Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > My two favorite (apocryphal) sentencing stories: > > 1. An elderly white-collar criminal is sentenced to 50 years. He says to the judge, “Your Honor, I’m not sure I’ll live to serve that entire sentence.” The judge says, not unkindly, “Just do your best.” > > 2. Tough judge tells a defendant, “Your parole officer has not been born yet.” 1. Or the defendant who complained that he hadn’t been given a fair crack of the whip - so the judge added twelve strokes of the cat to the sentence. 2. Defendant: “As God is my judge, I am not guilty!” Judge: “He’s not, I am, you are, six months.” ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-madoff-sentenced-to-150-years/501353/9 "2009-06-29T17:56:52Z")
> [@The\_Weird\_One](#): > > Huzzah! > > Yes, I hope they continue to investigate, particularly Madoff’s wife and sons. I find it very hard to believe that they are completely innocent in all this. Even if they ARE innocent, frack this whole you get to keep some of the ill gotten gains idea just because you slept with the turd or are his genetic offspring. Plenty of folks in the world never had crap to start with, nor do they ever get it. At least you lead the good life for a few/many years. Now you dont deserve to IMO. Join us peons in the real world now. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-madoff-sentenced-to-150-years/501353/10 "2009-06-29T18:18:06Z")
Crackers, the Corporate Crime-Fighting Chicken, is smiling right now. ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-madoff-sentenced-to-150-years/501353/11 "2009-06-29T23:19:04Z")
[Nelson] HA-ha! [/Nelson] ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-madoff-sentenced-to-150-years/501353/12 "2009-06-29T23:46:22Z")
If the “fruit of a poisonous tree” doctrine can protect defendants from unscrupulous cops/prosecutors, surely it should be extended to protect investors from unscrupulous money managers. The Madoff wealth was gotten illegally, and it should be forfeited. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-madoff-sentenced-to-150-years/501353/13 "2009-06-30T00:15:45Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > If the “fruit of a poisonous tree” doctrine can protect defendants from unscrupulous cops/prosecutors, surely it should be extended to protect investors from unscrupulous money managers. The Madoff wealth was gotten illegally, and it should be forfeited. Anyone else blown away that the judge agreed to let his (Madoff’s) wife keep 2.5 million bucks??? When dealing with the billions stolen, 2.5 mil might seem like chicken scratch, but the average American can work hard (honestly) an entire lifetime and never see anywhere near that kind of payout… It seems like she could make do with much, much less----if anything at all. I would have to think there are lots of victims who would be happy to get a small chunk of her living stipend. Somehow it just dosent sit right with me. (as if anyone gives a sasshoot what I think about it) ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-madoff-sentenced-to-150-years/501353/14 "2009-06-30T00:26:08Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > Somehow it just dosent sit right with me. (as if anyone gives a sasshoot what I think about it) I’m not sure what a sasshoot is, but I’ll gladly give one for what you think about it. How much of that 150 years does anyone think he’ll actually serve? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-madoff-sentenced-to-150-years/501353/15 "2009-06-30T01:48:21Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > 1. Defendant: “As God is my judge, I am not guilty!” > Judge: “He’s not, I am, you are, six months.” Judges are assholes, in my limited experience. I agree with the asshole in this case, but he or she is probably an asshole. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-madoff-sentenced-to-150-years/501353/16 "2009-06-30T11:55:04Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > Anyone else blown away that the judge agreed to let his (Madoff’s) wife keep 2.5 million bucks??? > > When dealing with the billions stolen, 2.5 mil might seem like chicken scratch, but the average American can work hard (honestly) an entire lifetime and never see anywhere near that kind of payout… > > It seems like she could make do with much, much less----if anything at all. > > I would have to think there are lots of victims who would be happy to get a small chunk of her living stipend. > > Somehow it just dosent sit right with me. (as if anyone gives a sasshoot what I think about it) I found the pictures of her riding the subway to be the worst “woe is me” sympathy ploy ever.:rolleyes: I thought I heard that the investigation is still moving forward, as no one believes he did this alone. There was a guy on 60 Minutes a couple weeks back who said that he notified the Feds at least three times regarding Madoff’s doings…maybe one of those guys will go down, too. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-madoff-sentenced-to-150-years/501353/17 "2009-06-30T12:00:41Z")
> [@Auntbeast](#): > > How much of that 150 years does anyone think he’ll actually serve? IANAL but it was my understanding that for federal sentences they’re required to serve 85% before eligible for parole consideration. I’d certainly welcome clarification if that’s not entirely accurate. Or did you mean he’ll die soon enough? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-madoff-sentenced-to-150-years/501353/18 "2009-06-30T14:10:37Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > 1. Or the defendant who complained that he hadn’t been given a fair crack of the whip - so the judge added twelve strokes of the cat to the sentence. > > 2. Defendant: “As God is my judge, I am not guilty!” > Judge: “He’s not, I am, you are, six months.” Heh. From the comic _The Wizard of Id_: the King is sentencing a felon and says, “Off with his head!” The man drops to his knees and begs, “Please, sire, have mercy! It’s Valentine’s Day, after all!” The King smiles and says, “So it is, varlet. Thank you for pointing that out.” Then he says offhandedly to the guards, “Cut his heart out.” A local weirdo once turned up in one of our courts and said that Jesus was his lawyer. The judge said, “I’m sorry, but Jesus isn’t admitted to the bar of the State of Ohio, and apparently hasn’t filed to make an appearance _pro hac vice_.” ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-madoff-sentenced-to-150-years/501353/19 "2009-06-30T14:31:14Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > IANAL but it was my understanding that for federal sentences they’re required to serve 85% before eligible for parole consideration. I’d certainly welcome clarification if that’s not entirely accurate. > > Or did you mean he’ll die soon enough? CNN says there is NO parole for Federal crimes these days. Zero. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-madoff-sentenced-to-150-years/501353/20 "2009-06-30T15:05:23Z")
They have sentenced Madoff to … immortality? 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-madoff-sentenced-to-150-years/501353.md?page=2)