Roberto Cavalli guilty and sentenced..

[Ianastar]

wow...that's bizarre.


I love how people with money always think they are above the law.

 

[dare-]

All jails suck. Yes, even federal ones. He'll have to do such demeaning things as laundry, cleaning up trash, living in small quarters with another person. Thanks to underfunding and over-sentencing, all of them over-crowded. For months and months on end! Will he come out a saint? No. But will not want to go to jail again? Yes.

What tangible benefits?
1) deterrence - how can you deny this? a celebrity going to jail causes a lot more people to turn their heads than some nobody

Allowing him to just pay a fine just re-inforces the belief that celebrities are above the law and have nothing to fear from the justice system. Such a result breeds contempt for the law.

2) smug re-assurance that justice is being done. i start to blush just thinking about cavalli in jail.

Of course, I'm assuming italian jails are similiar. What do I know. They could be the Ritzs.

Personally, I would like to send Cavalli to one of those correctional boot-camps.

 

[renferme]

Put it this way - if you have been to jail you won't be able to get a USA visa or visit. Kate Moss is worried about this isn't she?

OK, Eurpoean jails may not be like they are in say, Bangkok,but would you like to go to jail, I wouldn't!

 

[saann]

I remember a man from estonia who was living such a rough life that he took the boat to sweden and the first thing he did was to hit a man with a hammer, just so that he could get into a swedish jail, apparantely jail is better than the life he was living

but when it comes to cavalli, even how nice the jail may be I don't think that he would prefer that over free time, sure for some jail might be a better option but for him it's not, so the way we 'normal' people feel about lets say a bangkok jail is probably the way he might feel about a normal jail.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

sucks for him

 

[Deleted member 7575]

"Everyone is and should be treated the same."

I agree with you 100%... unfortunately in the real world things don't work that way. We are dealing with a flawed judicial system. As such, we should talk about applications or ramifications that are POSSIBLE given the system that exists. What you mention above sounds nice and lovely, but certainly isn't a reflection of any world that I've ever seen.

Do you really believe most incredibly wealthy people are scared of jail time as it stands? Maybe in some countries, but at least in the US, some of the jail cells to which these corporate criminals are sent are nicer than most mid-income housing. And, most certainly better than the standard of living of 2/3 of the rest of the world. So, given this Cavalli business, is sending him to jail going to any good? Is it going to change anything? Not really. Is he going to come out saying, "I've been reformed! Hallelujah." I doubt it.

John

I don't think that's the point. What is the point of having consequences for breaking the law if it is never applied?

About Martha Stewart, the media made a huge deal out of nothing. She did something illegal, she was caught, and she did the APPROPRIATE jail time and then she moved on. If Cavalli goes to jail hopefully we'll all be able to do the same. But I think he should be put under the standard punishment, the laws the law.

 

[Pastry]

sucks for him

 

[eunhe]

amen DARE. the law is the law.
i don't care WHO you are or HOW much money you stole.
I don't care it it DOESN'T change him.
That's not the point.
People have to understand that there are CONSEQUENCES for your actions.
Whether you change or not from the consequence - well, no one has control over that.

 

[Spike413]

I agree with what John said, and I think in a case like this being a public figure works against you. So many people get away with all kinds of fraud everyday, and yet you rarely read about any of them. The only reason the Martha Stuart case was blown so out of proportion, and likely a big part of the reason why she did any jail time is simply because she's Martha Stuart. Same with Cavalli. Even though they're trying to make an example for him, does anyone really think that it will stop somebody from extorting money or finding ways to cheat on their taxes. Greed is greed, and no ammount of jailtime is going to stop it, especially considering that most of them get to keep the money when they're released....

 

[*Happiness*]

... it's not just italian ....

It's for whoever has enough money to have the law re-written.

 

[*Happiness*]

wow...that's bizarre.


I love how people with money always think they are above the law.

I couldn't agree more.

 

[Likwidstar]

Life is unfair... some people get away with it, some people don't... I think thats how life works.. the big fish eat the smaller ones.. its the circle of life.. the food chain

 

[dare-]

Well, we have a split of opinion.

Either celebrities serve more time because they're celebrities and people want them to be made an example of. Or, they get less time because they're celebrities.

Either way, these are nothing but bald assertions, ipse dixit not backed up by any kind of data, not even anecdotal.

"No amount of jail time will stop greed?" The same impulse that drives greed is the same impulse that the law depends on to be effective.

Are you then saying that if we gave everybody life sentences for tax evasion that that wouldn't cause less people to intentionally lie on their taxes? Lets say that you could make a million dollars through an illegal action, and only had a 1% chance of getting caught, but if you got caught you would get a life sentence. Would you would still take the chance? I wouldn't.

 

[JJohnson]

Totally agree with Dare - in most cases the threat of a jail sentence is the only thing that puts these wealthy people off from committing fraud. after all they can afford the fine, no matter how big! Fraud is serious, tax evasion is bad, because it denies govenments the money they need to run their countries. Greedy and dishonest people should be made to pay for their actions, why should the famous be exempt? Steve Madden did his time, so should Cavalli.

Anyway how do you know 'other people did what Martha Stewart did and got away with it,' - In my experience that simply isn't the case.Everyone is and should be treated the same, you simply didn't hear about the 'other people' because they are not celebrities.

I might be late, but Steve Madden went to jail? When ? LOL

 

[Lena]

imo, he should certainly serve jail time..
i hope people boycot all Cavalli products, he's a fraud..

you are all welcome (regarding me posting this thread)

 

[renferme]

I might be late, but Steve Madden went to jail? When ? LOL

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/whitecollarcrime_blog/2005/04/hail_the_return.html

He was in jail for 41 months, got out last year, convicted of tax evasion and fraud. But he still continued to receive a huge salary whilst in prison, unfair IMO.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

hmmm...

 

[punpanichewa]

Thanks for article Lena.

I wonder Peta would celebrate this time.

 

[Venús As A Boy]

imo, he should certainly serve jail time..
i hope people boycot all Cavalli products, he's a fraud..
quote]


ah yes! but what about the "The If Lots of People Know You, You Can Get Away With It" act of 1987??

 

[Ollie]

I just wonder what his cell would look like, elephant tusk vases, a zebra skin throw, im sure he could make it an interesting space, somthing Kimora lee Simons would deem "fabulosity" worthy.