Lambkin wrote:I think there is some truth to the assertion that financial criminals get harsh sentences, and large-value financial crimes do get sentences greater than those received by murderers. ...
Not at all. By-and-large It depends on who did the crime and who their victims were.
A murderer typically kills one person; perpetrators of financial crimes may have dozens, even hundreds or thousands of victims but they rarely act alone.
If the victims of financial crimes are among the portion of the citizenry where collateral damage is acceptable and the perpetrator is well connected and shielded among the protected class there won't be prosecution, let alone sentencing (i.e., Roland Arnall, Angelo Mozilo, Brad Morrice, etc., etc.).
Lambkin wrote:I'm interested in the question of how Bernie Madoff's crime compares to murder for example. Is he a monster in that way?
I'll admit a general bias against long prison terms, as an indulgence we cannot afford.
Maddoff was among the protected class up until some among the protected class who were being scammed by him started complaining and the noise reached a crescendo that couldn't be ignored.