Keep Bernard Madoff Free!

If you're going on the soapbox against America's piss poor justice system, I would recommend you start somewhere else besides with some sleaze who committed a money crime worse than Enron, Jesse James, the great train robbery and the Halliburton and KBR heist in Iraq combined. Just bear with the broken system until Madoff goes somewhere that will vastly improve his love life, and then you can appoint a committee to take up your cause, hopefully involving the question of why we have Tom DeLay running loose in the streets and why Bush, Cheney and Rove won't be going to jail.

This is just the most ditzy argument for bail I have ever seen; Presumption of innocence and bail are not and never have been connected. Bail is to insure appearance; presumption of innocence puts the burden on prosecutors to PROVE guilt (and not the other way around. Conflating these two concepts is sophistry at its worst.

Madoff is demomnstrably guilty but gets a presumption of innocence and the US Attorney will have to prove his case. Madoff gets not have bail because he violated not one but several condirtions of his bail. Ergo, off to the clink he goes; he of course will get credit for "time served" prior to conviction. That's as fair as bernie the felon is gonna get

I suspect that the writer of this article is simply looking to sensationalize the issue. This is not the place to start expressing concern for wrongful imprisonment etc. An article as weak as this would actually have one think it was a slow day for news....................it was I guess a slow day for the writer.

And no one seems to think he is a flight risk? With all his money? And the fact that he was trying to hide assets doesn't mitigate sending him to jail? What else is he doing to protect his "nestegg" that we don't know about? Obviously being under house arrest and having full-time guards isn't worth the paper it's printed on. An an ankle bracelet? By the time the "speedy" law figures out he's gone, it will be too late.

I'm just wondering what vested interested in Madoff this newsweek writer has? I would like to know why he didn't write this same opionion piece about OJ Simpson when he was kept in jail before and throughout his trial?

I'm just wondering what vested interested in Madoff this newsweek writer has? I would like to know why he didn't write this same opionion piece about OJ Simpson when he was kept in jail before and throughout his trial?

The writer of this editorial piece is an idot. Madoff has access to more than enough assets to allow him to disappear quickly and permanantly. Prosecutors certainly looked at the possiblity that he would not continue to cooperate if dislodged from his comfortable life. However, in balance Madoff, and every other slimeball white collar criminal needs to experience the same justice that average Americans do. His ALLEGED conduct, if proven, is of a magnitude so much greaterand egregious than some poor stiff who robs a bank (federal offense) to feed his family or a poverty induced drug habit.

I hope Newsweek did not pay for this opinion - if so you were taken to the cleaners.

Why is it that in this nation thereare two sets of laws,one for the rich and the other for us common people?

I am looking forward to reading the article in Newsweek about how Madoff hired mercenaries to spring him from his home confinement and then help him to disappear. He has been duping people for a long time and is very good at it. You are a fool to believe that he does not have a stash of money somewhere that only he knows about and only he can access.

The resources posted to cover his bail are ill gotton goods. He's going to loose them anyway. There is no incentive for him not to attempt to flee. Essentially, the victims are posting his bail.

It will be interesting to see what Newsweek has to say when he has passed off millions to his children, feirnds, cronies. But you're right, jailing him would make such activity... perhaps too difficult?

Every crime and case is different. In this case, Madoff should be jailed to freeze all his assets and spending, so that the investors can be returned as much of their investment as possible. The money Madoff is living on and giving away is stolen, Further, jail will protect Madoff from someone killing him. Given that Madoff confessed to the crime, he is clearly not innocent nor can he be presume innocent.

Probably one of the most rediculous pontificating articles I have ever read. Don't you realize he was out of jail ?? Free in his apartment. He violated his agreement by shipping millions of dollars in money and jewelery to friends and family, these are assets that are to be used for some form of repayment. The man is a liar, cheat and has ruined many charities and lives. He is actions show he is a risk to take off, what else does he have to loose ???

Madoff is not a wealthy man, he stole the money. Every penny he is using as bail should be given back to the investors first. Madoff should not be able to spend any of the money, which is why he should be in jail. Given Madoff confessed, logically he is not innocent nor can be presumed to be innocent. There is also a possibility of Madoff being killed by one of his investors, while he is out of jail.

Oh yea keep him at home so it will be easier for him to stal more money.

Oh yea lets keep him at home so he can steal mory money.