Allen Stanford ruled unfit to stand trial for fraud

[eppur_se_muova]

Source: BBC

A US federal judge has ruled that Texan billionaire Allen Stanford is unfit to stand trial at present over accusations he led a $7bn (£4.5bn) fraud scheme.

Mr Stanford is facing trial over allegations that he ran a pyramid scheme based in Antigua which defrauded investors.

He has pleaded not guilty to fraud, conspiracy and obstruction.

District Judge David Hittner ruled that Mr Stanford did not have the present mental capacity to assist his lawyers.



Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12294466

[Confusious]

1. Of course

But he had the mental capacity to steal $7bn.

Steal enough, you get off scott free.

[bluedigger]

2. What utter bullshit.

[PJPhreak]

8. "What utter bullshit."

I could not have said it better myself!

[JDPriestly]

3. Unbelievable. I wonder who got paid what.

[Rex]

4. Just like a caught mafia don.

Suddenly can't remember anything. But hey, no class warfare here. Just a billionaire committing a few crimes, when has that been against the law?

[glinda]

5. How convenient.

[1896educational]

6. what a load of bull!

[Mnemosyne]

11. Welcome to DU, 1896educational! Nice teeth!

:evilgrin::hi:

Billionaires get all the breaks, dammit! :)

[Angry Dragon]

7. Then he needs to be sitting in a padded cell tomorrow morning

[somone]

9. Nifty trick: Take Xanax, avoid trial

BTW Dick DeGuerin (Tom Delay's lawyer) was his lawyer

[Mopar151]

10. Steal $500 out of a liquor store...

And you could be talking to (your lawyer) Snow White and the 7 Dwarves on the jury, and be convicted before Happy Hour. Steal zillions, and judges bow and scrape before your army of bent psychiatrists.

[melm00se]

12. the next 2 paragraphs are interesting

The court finds Stanford is incompetent to stand trial at this time based on his apparent impaired ability to rationally assist his attorneys in preparing his defence," Judge Hittner wrote in his ruling in Houston, Texas.

"The court's finding that Stanford is incompetent, however, does not alter the court's finding that Stanford is a flight risk and that no combination of conditions of pretrial release can reasonably assure his appearance at trial," he added.

so, in essence, he remains in the clink until he is competent and then, presumably, he will be tried.

either way, he is in jail