Ross Ulbricht Jailtime Poll

[coinpr0n]

Hopeful crowd ... It was sad to see the man pleading. Makes me think though that that's the likely outcome. Sadly.

[Neg]

Hopeful crowd ... It was sad to see the man pleading. Makes me think though that that's the likely outcome. Sadly.

It's his last option. Anyone would swallow their pride and do it if they were in his situation. He's doing what he can to save himself life in prison or at least shave some of his jail time off - not sure how effective it will be though.

[gentlemand]

Hopeful crowd ... It was sad to see the man pleading. Makes me think though that that's the likely outcome. Sadly.

What else would the average human be expected to do?

That would not be the moment to start bellowing about his libertarian ideals. That's all over for him. The Man don't give a fuck anyway. 

[NattyLiteCoin]

Was he found guilty of facilitating murder for hire and people were actually killed?

[gentlemand]

Was he found guilty of facilitating murder for hire and people were actually killed?

The murder thing was never raised or charged. As far as I can remember one 'murder' was supposedly staged by law enforcement. Others were paid for but the police never found any evidence or trace of anything actually happening. It's rather easier to accept a load of money and pretend to kill someone than actually do it.

[Studio60]

He probably thought he was invulnerable like everyone else who gets caught. It does boggle the mind a bit. He should've done a runner a long, long time before.

I think you hit the nail on the head. He was way too cocky in his own cleverness. I mean reading the Wired article of the FBI agent's account of events shows he was over confident. On the day of the arrest the agent realized too late he was walking right past Ross looking like a cop, carrying a laptop, and Ross didn't even notice him. I mean, come on.

[keystroke]

"We're told we need safety; which is precious, yes,
but can a society that can enforce all its laws ever progress?

Hindsight shows that many figures guilty of "thought-crime"
turned out to be luminaries and heroes, before their time.
But if a surveillance state had reigned then in this form and design
Just think of all the progress we may've all been denied..."

-Juice Rap News

[BayAreaCoins]

He probably thought he was invulnerable like everyone else who gets caught. It does boggle the mind a bit. He should've done a runner a long, long time before.

I think you hit the nail on the head. He was way too cocky in his own cleverness. I mean reading the Wired article of the FBI agent's account of events shows he was over confident. On the day of the arrest the agent realized too late he was walking right past Ross looking like a cop, carrying a laptop, and Ross didn't even notice him. I mean, come on.

I still think the feds chose to bust his ass cause Ross was turning into a greedy pig upping the vendor fees yet again. lol

I picked 30... it maybe more than that though.

I imagine they will appeal it.

[tarsua]

He probably thought he was invulnerable like everyone else who gets caught. It does boggle the mind a bit. He should've done a runner a long, long time before.

I think you hit the nail on the head. He was way too cocky in his own cleverness. I mean reading the Wired article of the FBI agent's account of events shows he was over confident. On the day of the arrest the agent realized too late he was walking right past Ross looking like a cop, carrying a laptop, and Ross didn't even notice him. I mean, come on.

I still think the feds chose to bust his ass cause Ross was turning into a greedy pig upping the vendor fees yet again. lol

I picked 30... it maybe more than that though.

I imagine they will appeal it.

I'm sure they wont appeal, he has given up on fighting, he wrote a letter to the judge asking for as little time as possible

[Blackbird0]

He probably thought he was invulnerable like everyone else who gets caught. It does boggle the mind a bit. He should've done a runner a long, long time before.

I think you hit the nail on the head. He was way too cocky in his own cleverness. I mean reading the Wired article of the FBI agent's account of events shows he was over confident. On the day of the arrest the agent realized too late he was walking right past Ross looking like a cop, carrying a laptop, and Ross didn't even notice him. I mean, come on.

I still think the feds chose to bust his ass cause Ross was turning into a greedy pig upping the vendor fees yet again. lol

I picked 30... it maybe more than that though.

I imagine they will appeal it.

I'm sure they wont appeal, he has given up on fighting, he wrote a letter to the judge asking for as little time as possible

So ...

This is the procedural phase of a federal prosecution that we call sentencing. The defendant has been found guilty by a jury. The judge then sentences the defendant according to the now-advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. During sentencing, the government and the defense make arguments to the judge tending to aggravate or mitigate the conduct that the defendant committed. It is only after a sentence has been handed down (judgment has been entered) that a defendant can appeal.

So, I fully expect the defendant, Ulbricht, to appeal. And simply because he is arguing for leniency at sentencing does not mean that he is no longer going to appeal. In fact, it is entirely in the normal course of things for a defendant who has lost his trial but still intends to appeal to argue as he has at sentencing.

[BADecker]

He probably thought he was invulnerable like everyone else who gets caught. It does boggle the mind a bit. He should've done a runner a long, long time before.

I think you hit the nail on the head. He was way too cocky in his own cleverness. I mean reading the Wired article of the FBI agent's account of events shows he was over confident. On the day of the arrest the agent realized too late he was walking right past Ross looking like a cop, carrying a laptop, and Ross didn't even notice him. I mean, come on.

I still think the feds chose to bust his ass cause Ross was turning into a greedy pig upping the vendor fees yet again. lol

I picked 30... it maybe more than that though.

I imagine they will appeal it.

I'm sure they wont appeal, he has given up on fighting, he wrote a letter to the judge asking for as little time as possible

So ...

This is the procedural phase of a federal prosecution that we call sentencing. The defendant has been found guilty by a jury. The judge then sentences the defendant according to the now-advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. During sentencing, the government and the defense make arguments to the judge tending to aggravate or mitigate the conduct that the defendant committed. It is only after a sentence has been handed down (judgment has been entered) that a defendant can appeal.

So, I fully expect the defendant, Ulbricht, to appeal. And simply because he is arguing for leniency at sentencing does not mean that he is no longer going to appeal. In fact, it is entirely in the normal course of things for a defendant who has lost his trial but still intends to appeal to argue as he has at sentencing.

It was an administrative hearing trial and jury. As you said, Ross can appeal.

Look at the 7th Amendment. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventh_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution:

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Since the verdict can be appealed, it wasn't a common law verdict. The 7th Amendment says that common law jury verdicts can't be appealed.

Certainly the amount of money involved is more than $20. Ross needs to stand up any time during the appeal and require a common law court trial. Things change in common law. They aren't done the same as administrative. In common law, Ross could easily win.

[bryant.coleman]

so its ok to have drugs then?

Do you think that someone should be beheaded for just possessing 5 grams of weed? I don't think so. Anyone should be free to use alcohol, drugs or tobacco. What I am doing with my body is nobody else's buisness. Honestly, I believe that the money which is currently being spent on the "war on drugs" should be spent elsewhere.

[Neg]

Was he found guilty of facilitating murder for hire and people were actually killed?

The murder thing was never raised or charged. As far as I can remember one 'murder' was supposedly staged by law enforcement. Others were paid for but the police never found any evidence or trace of anything actually happening. It's rather easier to accept a load of money and pretend to kill someone than actually do it.

There were no actual murders because DPR paid for the hits but the 'hitmen' were undercover cops who then staged the photos of the murders to prove to DPR they did it. However, those same cops were also corrupt officers so the charges likely wont stick or be dropped but this doesn't change the fact that DPR ordered the hits and was seemingly ok with it once they'd happened.

He probably thought he was invulnerable like everyone else who gets caught. It does boggle the mind a bit. He should've done a runner a long, long time before.

I think you hit the nail on the head. He was way too cocky in his own cleverness. I mean reading the Wired article of the FBI agent's account of events shows he was over confident. On the day of the arrest the agent realized too late he was walking right past Ross looking like a cop, carrying a laptop, and Ross didn't even notice him. I mean, come on.

I still think the feds chose to bust his ass cause Ross was turning into a greedy pig upping the vendor fees yet again. lol

I picked 30... it maybe more than that though.

I imagine they will appeal it.

I'm sure they wont appeal, he has given up on fighting, he wrote a letter to the judge asking for as little time as possible

Of course he will appeal. How has he given up fighting? The apology is the only thing he can do before his sentencing to try reduce the amount of time he gets. The appeal then comes after.

[LFC_Bitcoin]

I obviously have no connection to him but I can't help but feel sorry for him.
Sure he was earning a shit load of money but he never actually handled any drugs himself.
He acted as an intermediary for dealers.
He provided a service that eliminated violence & gangs off the street.
If anything he was cleaning up the drug trade, cleaning up the streets.
He's ruined his life though & unfortunately he'll pay for it with a very, very long jail term.
Hopefully no longer than 20 years, people get out in less time for murder.
 

[gentlemand]

Hopefully no longer than 20 years, people get out in less time for murder.
  

Not in America you don't. When on holiday somewhere like Norway or the Netherlands I would think nothing of pushing a granny off a cliff if she was spoiling my view. I wouldn't do that in the Grand Canyon. You don't want to get embroiled in the US 'justice' system.

It sucks for him but he took the risk and should've been well aware of what might happen. He should also have kept in mind how desperate the authorities would be to make an example of him.

[louise123]

I obviously have no connection to him but I can't help but feel sorry for him.
Sure he was earning a shit load of money but he never actually handled any drugs himself.
He acted as an intermediary for dealers.
He provided a service that eliminated violence & gangs off the street.
If anything he was cleaning up the drug trade, cleaning up the streets.
He's ruined his life though & unfortunately he'll pay for it with a very, very long jail term.
Hopefully no longer than 20 years, people get out in less time for murder.
 

Murder is a totally different thing.
Depending who has been murdered, it doesn't really get in their way of doing business.

But drugs is a serious thing.....
Do you know how much money they spend on the "war on drugs"? 

[bryant.coleman]

Do you know how much money they spend on the "war on drugs"? 

The United States alone spends more than $15 billion every year, on its "war on drugs". That money would have been better spent elsewhere. For example, with that much money, every starving child in the world could be fed three times a day, for a complete year. Also, one million people, who are currently imprisoned (the vast majority of them being in the US), could be set free.

[louise123]

Do you know how much money they spend on the "war on drugs"? 

The United States alone spends more than $15 billion every year, on its "war on drugs". That money would have been better spent elsewhere. For example, with that much money, every starving child in the world could be fed three times a day, for a complete year. Also, one million people, who are currently imprisoned (the vast majority of them being in the US), could be set free.

I know.
The war on drugs is a joke.
It always has been.
And the funny part is that more than 90% of drugs has been created by the CIA, or at least that's what I heard.

[Blackbird0]

So ...

This is the procedural phase of a federal prosecution that we call sentencing. The defendant has been found guilty by a jury. The judge then sentences the defendant according to the now-advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. During sentencing, the government and the defense make arguments to the judge tending to aggravate or mitigate the conduct that the defendant committed. It is only after a sentence has been handed down (judgment has been entered) that a defendant can appeal.

So, I fully expect the defendant, Ulbricht, to appeal. And simply because he is arguing for leniency at sentencing does not mean that he is no longer going to appeal. In fact, it is entirely in the normal course of things for a defendant who has lost his trial but still intends to appeal to argue as he has at sentencing.

It was an administrative hearing trial and jury. As you said, Ross can appeal.

Look at the 7th Amendment. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventh_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution:

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Since the verdict can be appealed, it wasn't a common law verdict. The 7th Amendment says that common law jury verdicts can't be appealed.

Certainly the amount of money involved is more than $20. Ross needs to stand up any time during the appeal and require a common law court trial. Things change in common law. They aren't done the same as administrative. In common law, Ross could easily win.

You continue to have no idea what you are talking about. This was not a "suit at common law," which is a civil suit, but rather a criminal trial.

Additionally, you utterly mangle the rule of the 7th amendment, which is that one cannot appeal a factual finding, but one can in a civil suit, appeal the law. Thus, if a judge instructs a civil jury incorrectly, and that jury renders a verdict, you can appeal the legal error of the jury instruction and get a new trial, even when that means overturning the jury's verdict.

[MUFC]

Do you know how much money they spend on the "war on drugs"? 

The United States alone spends more than $15 billion every year, on its "war on drugs". That money would have been better spent elsewhere. For example, with that much money, every starving child in the world could be fed three times a day, for a complete year. Also, one million people, who are currently imprisoned (the vast majority of them being in the US), could be set free.

I know.
The war on drugs is a joke.
It always has been.
And the funny part is that more than 90% of drugs has been created by the CIA, or at least that's what I heard.

I don't think you should just go by 'what you heard', especially without checking the facts. The claim that 90% of drugs have been created by the CIA is complete nonsense. The war on drugs is just about politics and money and being able to lock people up for using or selling them. Everyone knows the war cannot be won and its just a massive waste of money. They should admit defeat legalize drugs then the so called war on drugs will be ended over night.