Well, Bernie Ebbers is being allowed to remain free from his effective life sentence during the appeal of his conviction of defrauding WorldCom investors. The basis of the decision to allow Mr. Ebbers to remain free is that there are serious appellate issues in the case, including a jury instruction that the trial judge conceded ventured into “a thorny area of the law.”
Does anyone really believe that Mr. Ebbers’ appeal is stronger than the appeals of these defendants, each of whom’s motion to remain free pending appeal was denied?
Ellen Podgor has more here.