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and the people who commit it. But until a person stands trial<br />
– until the prosecution presents its case and the person<br />
accused of the crime has an opportunity to defend himself<br />
– you shouldn’t rush to judgment. Once the evidence is in,<br />
though, feel free to let the judgment flow. And if what you<br />
learn convinces you that this guy is a crook, there’s no reason<br />
you shouldn’t treat him as one, regardless of how your<br />
friends behave toward him.<br />
What you mustn’t do, however, is use a friend’s party as an<br />
opportunity to act out your disapproval. When you accept an<br />
invitation to someone’s home, you have an obligation to be<br />
pleasant with all the other guests. If you aren’t willing to do<br />
this, you should decline the invitation. You might even want<br />
to tell your hosts why, in the hope they’ll reconsider before<br />
again extending their hospitality to this man. But making a<br />
friend’s guest feel uncomfortable, while not in a league with<br />
securities fraud, is still out of bounds.<br />
Got that?<br />
Forbes, meanwhile was running tip pieces like, “How to Get<br />
The Best Deals in Prison.” It reads in part, “So, you’re relocating<br />
from the boardroom to the prison cell. You certainly<br />
won’t be needing that country club membership. But even in<br />
Club Fed, there can be perks for those in the know. That’s why<br />
prospective inmates hire experts like ex-con Larry Levine of<br />
American Prison Consultants.”<br />
Before the worst of the crisis hit, Business Week was offering<br />
up-beat counsel: “Does corporate crime pay? The record<br />
can seem pretty arbitrary. Tyco International Ltd.’s, L. Dennis<br />
Kozlowski and WorldCom Inc.’s Bernie Ebbers got hammered<br />
for their misdeeds. But plenty of other corporate and financial<br />
titans at companies engaged in chicanery have come away<br />
only mildly bruised.”<br />
Feel better?