Professor/Broadcaster says conviction of Arthur Anderson & Co. is a "crime"

Every lawyer in America should fear the federal prosecution and conviction of Arthur Anderson & Co. says Professor/Braodcaster Andy Martin. Prosecutors have criminalized giving bad advice.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

ACCOUNTING PROFESSOR BRANDS CONVICTION OF
ARTHUR ANDERSON "A CRIME"

PROFESSOR SAYS "EVERY LAWYER SHOULD BE AFRAID"

NEWS CONFERENCE ADVISORY:

A PROGRAMMING NOTE FROM "ANDY MARTIN'S AMERICA"

(NEW YORK) Andy Martin's America will feature a special nationwide radio/Internet news conference edition of "Andy Martin's America" Monday, June 17th at 1:00 P.M. to condemn the conviction of Arthur Anderson & Co. as a "crime" and a "travesty of justice." Martin predicts the conviction of the accounting firm will be overturned on appeal.

Professor Martin studied accounting at the University of Illinois, a feeder school for Arthur Anderson. Martin was also an adjunct professor of accounting at City University of New York and New York University in the 1980's.

"What the federal government has done is an outrage," says Martin. "They have destroyed tens of thousands of lives, and a thriving business, all based on a few lines of commentary by one employee on one document. This is a Phyrric victory for prosecutors and a disaster for every American.

"They have 'convicted' a woman, Nancy Temple, of destroying the accounting firm, without even having probable cause to accuse her of any crime. Is this justice? Is his law? How can this be?

"The judge admitted there was no precedent for this case, and then went ahead and convicted the defendant herself by loading the jury instructions in an unconstitutional way so as to guarantee a conviction after holding jurors hostage for ten days.

"The jury admitted they could not agree on a criminal agent. Faced with endless incarceration, they picked attorney Temple as the 'fall guy' and convicted the firm. But Temple has never been accused of anything. As Charles Dickens' Beedle Bumble would say, 'The law is a ass.'

"The criminal law was never intended to be a bludgeon to destroy legitimate businesses because of employee error.

"The fact that prosecutors had the arrogance to brag about their victory tells us the legal system is sick. Even if what Nancy Temple did was wrong, and I am not convicted of that fact,
her error in giving legal advice was not a criminal act.

"Lawyers make mistakes in giving legal advice everyday. They do not commit crimes by doing so. Every lawyer in America should be terrified of this conviction. The government succeeded in criminalizing bad advice without even having probable cause to charge a crime. Scary.

"That this judicial circus, conducted by a biased judge and ambitious, unscrupulous prosecutors now destroys a venerable firm, creates economic chaos for tens of thousands of families, and yet leaves us without any meaningful reform in the accounting profession is truly the 'crime.'

"The Volcker Plan for Arthur Anderson, advocated by former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Paul Volcker, would have created impetus for real reform in the accounting profession. Now there will be none. The 'conviction' will be used to sanitize the accounting scandals, and business as usual will soon be the practice again.

"I condemn the President, the Attorney General, and the Department of Justice for an outrageous prosecution.

"The only justice likely to come of this circus is that the conviction will be reversed on appeal. Of that I am confident," says Professor Martin.

Martin's controversial program "Andy Martin's America" is a fulcrum of foreign policy, political analysis and contemporary commentary on the Internet.

Martin has been involved in broadcasting for 34 years, as an on-air personality, and in management, sales and consulting.

Martin has been an adjunct professor of law at the City University of New York, is a Washington foreign policy consultant in the areas of military security and intelligence and was an assistant to U.S. Senator Paul H. Douglas.

Martin's radio program (WPBR-AM, West Palm Beach) covers Florida issues from noon-1 P.M. and national/foreign policy from 1-2 P.M. Radio call-in (561) 641-8256, (800) 810-9727. Internet radio website: 1340wpbr.com (click "on air").
E-mail andy@andymartin.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: Andy Martin at (866) 706-2639