Quote:
Originally Posted by DiapDealer
While true, we're not at the punishment phase here. All participants are currently being charged the same.
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Exactly.
Assessing guilt is separate from assessing punishment.
Traditionally, when Cartels are exposed, the first to settle tend to get deals to flip on their "partners". Which makes sense because once the fix is off, they will be expected to go back to competing, and they will be under tight scrutiny, so they might as well twist the knife while they're at it.
Think of your typical NYC police procedural where the Detectives grill the driver of the getaway car used in an armed robbery where somebody got killed. The driver is just as guilty of murder as the guy that pulled the trigger. If he flips, he gets a better deal; if not he gets hammered. In TV, they always deal. In real life they don't always deal but when they don't, they do get life or even execution. *all* the participants are *elegible* fr the harshest punishment. It is up to the court (or the jury) to decide what the actual punishment will be.
In this particular case, there are multiple levels of punishment coming: the DOJ deal, which is mild; the State AGs, which demands cash "restitution"; and the Class Action Lawsuits that seek restitution *and* penalties. That is why the three settling companies are trying to get their AG deals to supercede the Class Action cases.
The longer (and deeper) the litigation gets, the worse off the remaining defendants will be. Because at some point the Primary Instigator(s) are going to be identified. And whoever gets left holding the bag is not going to get off with just a wrist-slap and a $50 million fine.