Will Silk Road's Ulbricht Win Appeal?

[dKingston]

Will Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who was recently convicted and sentenced to life in prison, win his appeal?  Even if he loses his appeal, will the life sentence be reduced? 

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[bryant.coleman]

There is not even a 0.0000001% chance that his sentence will be reduced. The FBI want to make an example out of him. They want to scare other possible future dark market admins using his example. Accept it. Ross Ullbricht will remain imprisoned for the rest of his life, unless he manages to escape from the prison.

[DGulari]

There is not even a 0.0000001% chance that his sentence will be reduced. The FBI want to make an example out of him. They want to scare other possible future dark market admins using his example. Accept it. Ross Ullbricht will remain imprisoned for the rest of his life, unless he manages to escape from the prison.

He is a very high level scumbag and he belongs in jail forever.  Why would they reduce his sentence?  They aren't making an example of him, he earned every day of confinement.  He paid to kill people.  He set up the largest drug trade market ever.  I am surprised he didn't get the death penalty.  Why did they go easy on him?

[LFC_Bitcoin]

There is not even a 0.0000001% chance that his sentence will be reduced. The FBI want to make an example out of him. They want to scare other possible future dark market admins using his example. Accept it. Ross Ullbricht will remain imprisoned for the rest of his life, unless he manages to escape from the prison.

He is a very high level scumbag and he belongs in jail forever.  Why would they reduce his sentence?  They aren't making an example of him, he earned every day of confinement.  He paid to kill people.  He set up the largest drug trade market ever.  I am surprised he didn't get the death penalty.  Why did they go easy on him?

I don't agree. He never handled any drugs himself, he acted as an intemediary. If anything he cleaned up the streets & provided a platform for clean, safe drug trading. No violence on the streets, gangs etc.

He provided a service, if people want drugs they'll get them so he was creating a safe haven for those people to get what they so desired. As for the murder for hire claims, correct me if I'm wrong but that wasn't proven as directly related to Ross.

He obviously deserves a prison sentence but I think 'life' is way too severe. Is what he did worse than rape or pedofilia? The sentence suggests so but in reality it isn't. He should get a reduced sentence but I fear he won't.

[Kprawn]

Ross Ullbricht did not get a fair trial. Evidence was withheld to protect the agents, who also stole Bitcoins.

The murder charges was never used in court, they only fabricated that story, to make him look bad, and the sentence is clear evidence of that.

There was a master plan to make a Scape goat out of him. There were other people involved too, but they were never found or charged with anything.

If he gets a fair appeal, he might get a much smaller sentence.  

[Tarantino]

Ross Ullbricht did not get a fair trial. Evidence was withheld to protect the agents, who also stole Bitcoins.

The murder charges was never used in court, they only fabricated that story, to make him look bad, and the sentence is clear evidence of that.

I doubt they were fabricated but it may have been entrapment. If you're going to say evidence was fabricated then you might as well say the entire evidence they had against him was fabricated too.

[bryant.coleman]

He is a very high level scumbag and he belongs in jail forever.  Why would they reduce his sentence?  They aren't making an example of him, he earned every day of confinement.  He paid to kill people.  He set up the largest drug trade market ever.  I am surprised he didn't get the death penalty.  Why did they go easy on him?

As I have posted many times before, there is no credible evidence to prove that he had attempted to kill people. And if someone deserves life without parole for simply setting up a market place then what should be the quantum of punishment given to those NATO guys, who encourage opium production in Afghanistan?

[turvarya]

Ross Ullbricht did not get a fair trial. Evidence was withheld to protect the agents, who also stole Bitcoins.

The murder charges was never used in court, they only fabricated that story, to make him look bad, and the sentence is clear evidence of that.

I doubt they were fabricated but it may have been entrapment. If you're going to say evidence was fabricated then you might as well say the entire evidence they had against him was fabricated too.

There are people much more more familiar with this case, who are saying exactly that: Most evidence is fabricated. There were a lot of lies, about how they got certain data(since, what they said didn't make sense in a technical way). There was evidence used, that no court should accept, since they are easily manipulated.
Also: If there was entrapment, that is illegal in the USA, as far as I know. He is not convicted for the murder charge, there isn't even a prosecution for that and there will not be one.

[DGulari]

The stupidity of the bitcoin community is shocking.

I don't agree.

Disagree all you like - you'll remain wrong.

He never handled any drugs himself, he acted as an intemediary.

There is no law which requires 'handling drugs personally'.  Drug dealing comes in many forms and it is not a requirement to be guilty of drugs dealing - that one 'handle them personally'.  What about the guy who stands on the corner dealing heroin but 'not handling it personally' because he uses a mental retard to hold the drug packages - does he get off too?  Where did you get the idea that just so one doesn't handle them personally - they are innocent?  This is the dumbest idea ever.

he was creating a safe haven for those people to get what they so desired.

What if they desired rape and murder of nuns?  Then is it nobel that he provide what people desire? 

As for the murder for hire claims, correct me if I'm wrong but that wasn't proven as directly related to Ross.

They didn't even try to prove it.  However, if they did we all know what the end result would be.  It is quite clear he was deep in this murder for hire thing.  That the DEA was a shithead didn't lesson the fact that Ross was all-in when it came to killing that guy.

Is what he did worse than rape or pedofilia?

Far, far worse. 

[unent]

......

He never handled any drugs himself, he acted as an intemediary.

There is no law which requires 'handling drugs personally'.  Drug dealing comes in many forms and it is not a requirement to be guilty of drugs dealing - that one 'handle them personally'.  What about the guy who stands on the corner dealing heroin but 'not handling it personally' because he uses a mental retard to hold the drug packages - does he get off too?  Where did you get the idea that just so one doesn't handle them personally - they are innocent?  This is the dumbest idea ever.

....

He did handle some drugs personally. He was one of the first sellers, if not the first seller because he sold magic mushrooms when the Silk Road started. They are not the most serious category of drug but they are illegal in most countries. He admitted to selling magic mushrooms and cultivating them himself, and also his Ebay technician friend who helped him code the Silk Road claimed Ross gave him some mushrooms that he admitted cultivating himself.

[xDan]

Wouldn't surprise me if the sentence was increased, if that's even possible. He's fucked, unless Murrica has some kind of revolution and halts the war on drugs.

The stupidity of the bitcoin community is shocking.

"herp derp people disagree with me so they must be stupid"

 

he was creating a safe haven for those people to get what they so desired.

What if they desired rape and murder of nuns?  Then is it nobel that he provide what people desire? 

The relevant point, as you well know, is whether or not the actions have a negative effect on others. Obviously you believe drugs do. But to compare the certainty of that to the certainty of rape/murder having a negative effect on others, is... Yeah. Rape/murder is clear action - harm caused, drugs are a whole lot more complicated in the chains of cause and effect.

[turvarya]

As for the murder for hire claims, correct me if I'm wrong but that wasn't proven as directly related to Ross.

They didn't even try to prove it.  However, if they did we all know what the end result would be.  It is quite clear he was deep in this murder for hire thing.  That the DEA was a shithead didn't lesson the fact that Ross was all-in when it came to killing that guy.

Oh, it was clear, no prosecution needed.
Please jump from a bridge.

[Submotion]

Ross Ullbricht did not get a fair trial. Evidence was withheld to protect the agents, who also stole Bitcoins.

The murder charges was never used in court, they only fabricated that story, to make him look bad, and the sentence is clear evidence of that.

I doubt they were fabricated but it may have been entrapment. If you're going to say evidence was fabricated then you might as well say the entire evidence they had against him was fabricated too.

There are people much more more familiar with this case, who are saying exactly that: Most evidence is fabricated. There were a lot of lies, about how they got certain data(since, what they said didn't make sense in a technical way). There was evidence used, that no court should accept, since they are easily manipulated.
Also: If there was entrapment, that is illegal in the USA, as far as I know. He is not convicted for the murder charge, there isn't even a prosecution for that and there will not be one.

Well all the ones who are saying this are obviously pro Ross and are going to say evidence was fabricated. When you get caught at your laptop logged in as DPR this argument loses a lot of credibility. I'm sure the trail wasn't fair but they didn't really need to fabricate anything when everyone can see what was going on.

[eerygarden]

I was not a big follower of the details of this case but according to the documentary Deep Web, by Alex winter, his defence was that he was never an admin for silk road, he merely built the website and sold it to someone else. You know how it goes with these things, you can never be sure on what to believe. The documentary leaves a lot of room for doubt in the prosecutions case though.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3312868/

[S4VV4S]

There is not even a 0.0000001% chance that his sentence will be reduced. The FBI want to make an example out of him. They want to scare other possible future dark market admins using his example. Accept it. Ross Ullbricht will remain imprisoned for the rest of his life, unless he manages to escape from the prison.

He is a very high level scumbag and he belongs in jail forever.  Why would they reduce his sentence?  They aren't making an example of him, he earned every day of confinement.  He paid to kill people.  He set up the largest drug trade market ever.  I am surprised he didn't get the death penalty.  Why did they go easy on him?

They didn't.
I don't know if you heard by he will be locked up in a box 23 hours a day for the rest of his life.
They should have gave him the death penalty but they didn't because they want him to suffer.
He will go crazy and eventually start coming up with ways to end his life.
I doubt that would be possible though.

Does that sound like "going easy on him"?

[TibanneCat]

He paid to kill people. 

murder charges were dropped because it couldn't be proved.
it is clear they want to make an example of him, so I don't think he has any chance to win the appeal.

[JJB]

I was not a big follower of the details of this case but according to the documentary Deep Web, by Alex winter, his defence was that he was never an admin for silk road, he merely built the website and sold it to someone else. You know how it goes with these things, you can never be sure on what to believe. The documentary leaves a lot of room for doubt in the prosecutions case though.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3312868/

He was

That might have been the only excuse his defense could come up with but we all know it's bulshit. I might have found it a bit more believable had he not been caught red-handed. He should have stayed at home as logging into Silk Road in public was silly. In fact, even being in the US was silly.

[bennybong]

Nope. But we can hope.

[kolloh]

I think he might be able to get the sentence reduced at least. Life in prison seems quite harsh for what he did and a lesser sentence would seem more fair.

[BillyBobZorton]

He has been selected as an example of what can happen to you if you run a darknet marketplace selling illegal goods. A life sentence for this is insane, then again, it seems he tried to hire some hitmen to do some nasty jobs, in this case I don't really care what happens to him.