Related Stories
Supreme Court guts corporate corruption law in Skilling case
Key Excerpts from Article on Website of NPR
Posted: July 5th, 2010
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1280883...
The U.S Supreme Court has severely restricted the ability of federal prosecutors to bring corruption cases against public officials and corporate executives. The court unanimously imposed stark limits on the so-called honest services law that for decades has been a key tool in prosecuting corruption cases. The court's ruling came in the case of former Enron executive Jeffrey Skilling, convicted of engaging in a scheme to enrich himself by deceiving shareholders about his company's true financial condition. He was convicted of a variety of charges, including depriving the Enron investors of his honest services. The Supreme Court ruled that the definition of honest services in federal law was so broad that, if viewed literally, it would be unconstitutionally vague, providing inadequate notice to citizens about what conduct is legal and what is not. Instead, a six-justice majority led by Ruth Bader Ginsburg declined to invalidate the law outright, but read it narrowly to cover only bribery and kickbacks. Three other justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy and Clarence Thomas would have, for all practical purposes, invalided the statute in its entirety.
Note: For lots more from major media sources on corporate and government (including the judicial branch) corruption, click here and here.
Related Stories
Latest News
Key News Articles from Years Past
