As of 5:00pm, judge says no credit for Manafort for accepting responsibility for crimes.

[edbermac]

Doesn’t sound too good for Paulie.

[gratuitous]

1. The government's reply brief in support of its sentencing memorandum didn't buy it, either

"[D]efendant exercised his constitutional right to trial in this matter and contested the facts and his guilt. That alone undermines any reduction for acceptance of responsibility."

You can see the entire 17 page pleading here:

https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/5759638/Mueller-reply-to-Manafort-VA-sentencing-memo.pdf

I sense the government attorneys who wrote the Reply had a lot of fun with it.

[GemDigger]

2. Thanks for the link. nt

[unblock]

6. i don't like that.

from all i have heard about manafort and the case(s) against him, he has shown no remorse or respect for the law and fully deserves a stiff sentence.

however, i do not like the attitude that defendants should be given stiffer sentences at a matter of principle solely for pleading not guilty and exercising their constitutional right to a fair trial. all defendants are doing society a favor by keeping the government honest and forcing them to prove their case in court. they should not be punished for that.

for the crimes for which they have been found guilty, sure.
for any lack of remorse or acceptance of guilt *after* the trial, sure.

but for insisting that the government prove their case, no.

[gratuitous]

9. I read it differently

I don't have the Manafort response handy, but it appears that he was arguing that he should receive consideration for a lighter sentence because he had "accepted responsibility" (there are separate sections in the government's Reply about remorse, respect for the law, recividism and other areas) for his crimes. As just one example of Manafort's failure to accept responsibility for his crimes, the government cited how hard he had contested the charges and the evidence against him. Even after his conviction, Manafort has tried to ditch his responsibility. The sentence I excerpted in my post is just one example of quite a number of instances cited by the government where Manafort was clearly not accepting responsibility for his crimes.

The government's reply is worth a read-through for a more comprehensive summing up of Manafort's many aggravating actions.

[Phoenix61]

3. I only read the first 3 pages but Dang!

He is well and truly screwed. And STUPID!!! Amazingly, astonishingly STUPID!

[GemDigger]

4. I'm on page 4 and was coming back to say the same thing.

Paul Manafort is screwed.

[Phoenix61]

5. Couldn't happen to a nicer asshat. nt

[Still In Wisconsin]

7. Womp womp...

poor Paulie's gonna die in the Greybar Hotel.

[asiliveandbreathe]

8. While we wait to hear the manafort sentence - restitution - etc...it has been interesting to

read through news articles written during this trial...especially that concerning the one and only Steve Calk...CEO of that Fed Bank in Chicago who approved loans to Manafort against advice from within the bank....

Calk wanted to be Sec of Army..remember….I don't see anywhere Calk has been held accountable for doling out millions Knowing Manafort lied in the loan appl.....

I found this article a good refresher...


https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/lengthy-sidebar-between-attorneys-and-judge-at-manafort-trial-finally-has-an-explanation/