July 2010 - Morgan Stanley wealth manager hits a biker, flees scene
Nov 2010 - Colorado prosecutors refuse to prosecute, because Morgan Stanley needs his sorry ass
COINCIDENCE? I think NOT!
At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst.
-- Aristotle
No man is above the law and no man is below it: nor do we ask any man's permission when we ask him to obey it.
-- Theodore Roosevelt
FROM THE CHURCH OF INEFFABLE STUPIDITY:
The Law is an Ass is not just a funny saying anymore, at least not when discussing the grate State of Colorado.
A Morgan Stanley wealth manager will not face felony charges for a hit-and-run because Colorado prosecutors don't want him to lose his job.
Martin Joel Erzinger, who manages more than $1 billion in assets for Morgan Stanley in Denver, is being accused only of a misdemeanor for allegedly driving his Mercedes into a cyclist and then fleeing the scene, Colorado's Vail Daily reports. The victim, Dr. Steven Milo, whom Erzinger allegedly hit in July, suffered spinal cord injuries, bleeding from his brain and, according to his lawyer Harold Haddon, "lifetime pain."
But District Attorney Mark Hurlbert says it wouldn't be wise to prosecute Erzinger -- doing so might hurt his source of income.
I wish I were making this shit up.
Let's see if we have this straight. An innocent biker is peddling legally on the street, an asshole banker collides with him seriously and permanently injuring him, the asshole banker flees the scene, AND the Colorado prosecutor refuses to charge him because he's too rich?
Prosecutor Mark Hurlbert came up with this unique form of logic:
"Felony convictions have some pretty serious job implications for someone in Mr. Erzinger's profession, and that entered into it. When you're talking about restitution, you don't want to take away his ability to pay."
Yeah, do the asshole banker a favor, drop the felony charges, as a favor for the injured biker?
The man crushed by Morgan Stanley (physically) is obviously far less important to society than a Morgan Stanley banker. The biker, Dr. Steven Milo, is merely a liver transplant specialist, obviously no one important to a legally operating society.
I must admit that I suffer from the occasional bout of outrage. For that reason, I created the Church of Ineffable Stupidity, celebating and celebrating the worst that our society has to offer. This time, I am simply shocked beyond belief.
I sincerely hope that Hurlbert's position is an elected one. And that voters remember next time he is up for retention or election. Heck, I'd move to Colorado to vote against him.
The refusal of congress to prosecute Cheney Bush was insulting and bad. It meant more years of war, more torture, more abuse and and more loss of life. I could never fathom Nancy Pelosi's refusal to at least start a congressional investigation. But, obviously she took her clues from the President, who also refused to look back at our sordid past.
This decision smells stinks to high heaven. As a practicing lawyer, it bothers me just as much as the Administration's refusal to do its job in 2009. This story tops the Church of Ineffable Stupidity's sAINThood list. When I locate his business address, I will update this diary.
On edit:
The good prosecutor (out of law school for 16 years) can be reached at:
Fifth Judicial District
PO BOX 488
Breckenridge CO 80424