John Rigas dying from cancer - release him from prison?

[thewookie1]

I'd let his victims choose, why give humanity to someone who was inhumane to them. I couldn't care less what happens to the crook, but the victims may.

[Taro T]

You don't think he was made an example of? Where are the criminals of the financial meltdown in 2008?

How dare you accuse me of being a Coudy man.

Bradford, Coudersport, aren't they the same exact place? :p

[blugold43]

it's fair to say he should have had a lot more company, especially after 2008.

that's the truth

when they start freeing people sent up for freaking WEED, then they can let Rigas out....who actually stole.

[beerme1]

I checked in with Baretta but got voicemail. It sang, don't do the crime if you can't do the time, no no. Don't do it.

Oddly enough (Blake) Baretta, acquitted of his crime, still must pay for his crime.

[pastajoe]

Let him free if he agrees to spend his time restarting the Empire Sports Network.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

Ah yes....the "victims" ......

 

You know, with a little bit of research on the Owner of the Buffalo Sabres, you could have just as easily sold short the stock of Adelphia and made money.

 

That's tinfoil thinking though.

 

Yeah....let the 90 year old cancer patient fry! But make sure you get your GM paycheck directly deposited into your Bank of America account so you have federal reserve notes to give to a hydrofracker from State College for a jersey made by 8 year olds in a country responsible for loaning money to fund your pension so you have it in time for December 25th to give to a partner on the day of the birth of a saviour that you don't believe in.

[Weave]

Ah yes....the "victims" ......

 

You know, with a little bit of research on the Owner of the Buffalo Sabres, you could have just as easily sold short the stock of Adelphia and made money.

 

That's tinfoil thinking though.

 

Yeah....let the 90 year old cancer patient fry! But make sure you get your GM paycheck directly deposited into your Bank of America account so you have federal reserve notes to give to a hydrofracker from State College for a jersey made by 8 year olds in a country responsible for loaning money to fund your pension so you have it in time for December 25th to give to a partner on the day of the birth of a saviour that you don't believe in.

 

I don't get a GM paycheck anymore.  And Bank of America can suck my.....

 

Something around $3B stolen from investors.  If he did that with a note saying he had a bomb this wouldn't be a conversation.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

I don't get a GM paycheck anymore. And Bank of America can suck my.....

 

Something around $3B stolen from investors. If he did that with a note saying he had a bomb this wouldn't be a conversation.

I'm sorry.

 

Wasn't singling you out just using examples of all the ways the public has money taken from them without choice by the government and criminals are rewarded let alone not punished.

 

People willingly invested in Adelphia and people could willingly short Adelphia because they didn't believe in it.

 

I am fine with showing a little mercy to a 90 year old in his last few days. If it involved violence then no. The poor guy probably doesn't even know where he is at this point.

[Weave]

 The poor guy probably doesn't even know where he is at this point.

 

Well then, it doesn't really matter now, does it?   :ph34r:

[LTS]

I think the key here is..

 

How much does it cost to keep him in prison and provide his healthcare at taxpayer money as opposed to let him out.

 

Nothing undoes his crimes... but we'll continue to pay for him while he's in prison.

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

Background info:

 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1027516262583067680

 

 

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

Well then, it doesn't really matter now, does it? :ph34r:

True

 

The guy seemed half fried 20 years ago which is why I tend to believe the posters who say the son was the real crook.

 

I won't fight for his release. Just think it isn't a slap in the face to anyone in this case. The Esteemed President Barack Hussein Obama traded 5 top murderers for a treasonous hippie who willingly abandoned his platoon and got some of them killed. A 90 year old who got carried away with his shiny new toy sitting in a diaper with a morphine drip while getting a little sunshine through his own bedroom window for a few weeks isn't going to offend me.

[Weave]

Background info:

 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1027516262583067680

 

Subscription only. 

True

 

The guy seemed half fried 20 years ago which is why I tend to believe the posters who say the son was the real crook.

 

I won't fight for his release. Just think it isn't a slap in the face to anyone in this case. The Esteemed President Barack Hussein Obama traded 5 top murderers for a treasonous hippie who willingly abandoned his platoon and got some of them killed. A 90 year old who got carried away with his shiny new toy sitting in a diaper with a morphine drip while getting a little sunshine through his own bedroom window for a few weeks isn't going to offend me.

 

The flip side is, the judge gave him this sentence knowing full well it was likely a life sentence, and had the ability to shorten it (I assume).  I'm inclined to side with the judge that had full access to all of the materials presented at trial and came to the decision that spending the rest of his life in jail was appropriate.

[tom webster]

I really don't want to get into the whole "white collar/ business/ ponzie crime thing but........Adelphia is a business story that plays out countless times a day and the only thing that separates the crooks from the success stories is timing. I personallly know of at least three extremely successful business operations in WNY that were days away from being found out as "ponzie" schemes that flipped their "fortunes" and never looked back.

JR was like several entrepreneurs that built a company, went public but continued to run it old school and then turned it over to a thieving, conniving son. 

[Stoner]

John came from very little, served his country in World War II, worked hard, raised a family and built an enormous business. He was beloved in his hometown of Coudersport and very much liked, but probably not beloved, as owner of the Sabres. Lest we forget, Rigas was cheered at playoff rallies and seen as saviour of not only the franchise but also perhaps the city, before it all came crashing down. He was crook, but he was our crook. Our team benefited. A little perspective on the man wouldn't hurt at a time like this.

[Eleven]

Medical release, a/k/a compassionate release, is not uncommon in these circumstances.

[Weave]

Medical release, a/k/a compassionate release, is not uncommon in these circumstances.

Yeah, and the blurb in the beginning of this thread indicated that he negotiated this as part of his sentence as well. My hackles wont go up if he's released but I'm not inclined towards sympathy here. He stole alot of other peoples money. I dont care how beloved he was. He had lots of victims.

[Eleven]

Yeah, and the blurb in the beginning of this thread indicated that he negotiated this as part of his sentence as well. My hackles wont go up if he's released but I'm not inclined towards sympathy here. He stole alot of other peoples money. I dont care how beloved he was. He had lots of victims.

 

Absolutely.  I'm pretty indifferent.  I'm just pointing out that if he is released, it's not necessarily because he's getting special treatment.

[That Aud Smell]

Subscription only. 

 

WSJ work-around: Copy and paste the article's title, Google it, click the resulting link, and you almost always get through the paywall. I'm not sure why or how.

And it worked this time too.

[darksabre]

WSJ work-around: Copy and paste the article's title, Google it, click the resulting link, and you almost always get through the paywall. I'm not sure why or how.

And it worked this time too.

 

You handsome, clever man.  :worthy:

[That Aud Smell]

You handsome, clever man.  :worthy:

 

I can take no credit. A reliably right-leaning friend of mine put me onto that trick after I told him I couldn't read the WSJ pieces he was sending to me.

[SDS]

I can take no credit. A reliably right-leaning friend of mine put me onto that trick after I told him I couldn't read the WSJ pieces he was sending to me.

 

Fairly old trick... been using that for 5 years at least. I assumed most people knew it by now.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

I really don't want to get into the whole "white collar/ business/ ponzie crime thing but........Adelphia is a business story that plays out countless times a day and the only thing that separates the crooks from the success stories is timing. I personallly know of at least three extremely successful business operations in WNY that were days away from being found out as "ponzie" schemes that flipped their "fortunes" and never looked back.

JR was like several entrepreneurs that built a company, went public but continued to run it old school and then turned it over to a thieving, conniving son.

I hear you.

 

Not a saint by far.

 

If you aren't drowning puppies or molesting children, I think a merciful person can come to grips with a peaceful death.

[SwampD]

I hear you.

 

Not a saint by far.

 

If you aren't drowning puppies or molesting children, I think a merciful person can come to grips with a peaceful death.

Unless the person drowning puppies did so because they were retired and needed the dog food for themself because they had Adelphia stock in their 401k.

[calti]

Unless the person drowning puppies did so because they were retired and needed the dog food for themself because they had Adelphia stock in their 401k.

ouch