High Court Throws Out Mass. Extortion Conviction

[SecularMotion]

Source: NY Times

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court has thrown out the conviction of a Massachusetts financier convicted of extortion for sending threatening emails to a New York state official.

The high court on Wednesday sided with Giridhar Sekhar of Brookline, Mass., who appealed his conviction.

Sekhar wanted a New York State employee pension fund to invest in one of his company's funds. But a lawyer for the pension fund recommended against investment, so Sekhar sent him emails threatening to expose an alleged affair. The FBI traced the emails, and indicted Sekhar for attempted extortion.


Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/06/26/us/politics/ap-us-supreme-court-extortion.html?ref=aponline

[Baitball Blogger]

1. Hmm...when Webster would be helpful...

coercion:the act of compelling by force of authority

extortion:The practice of obtaining something, esp. money, through force or threats.

So, in Fat Tony's mind, if someone is in a position of authority, they can threaten you to obtain something and it's okay.

I think he came up with a new word: co-extort.

[hfojvt]

3. apparently it was a unanimous decision

so either we cannot blame conservatives for this one,

or, more tellingly, that when it comes to being on the side of big money, all nine of those a-holes are conservatives.

[Baitball Blogger]

4. Didn't catch that.

It's unfortunate that a group of nine judges who are protected for life, can turn around and create more hardships for us.

[byeya]

2. I've tried to keep up with this case - not much regular info - and it seemed to me

it fit the text book definition of extortion.
It's a new world as our betters recently said so rewriting the textbook with give somebody some work in India.

[Poincare]

5. Unaccountable government Tyranny

So, the Supremes have created a framework of unaccountable government tyranny. So, a lobbyist could influence a government official, with threats of exposing their private life, can't be prosecuted, and the results, no matter how horrible, cannot bring the government official to accountability through the courts, for their actions( ie. Rumsfeld decision on torture ).

[hughee99]

6. I believe what he did is still illegal, they're just saying it's not extortion.

It seems like blackmail may be applicable here.

[premium]

7. Yep,

and it wouldn't surprise me if he's charged with blackmail or coercion.