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Madoff Sentencing: Victim Impact Statements in Madoff Scandal

by Jordan Yerman | June 29, 2009 at 08:44 am

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Before Bernie Madoff received his 150-year prison sentence, he had to face eight of the people he ripped off as they gave victim impact statements. This reckoning, known as victim allocution, is relatively new. 113 people filed victim impact statements, and eight of them appeared in court to testify at the sentencing following the Madoff scandal.

While Madoff's attorney, Ira Sorkin, sought a sentence of 12 years, Judge Denny Chin stated that, in selecting the 150-year sentence, he was swayed by the statements of Madoff's victims and wanted the result of this trial to serve as a deterrent to anyone considering similar crimes: while Madoff, 73, will unlikely live another 15 years, never mind 150, future Ponzi scheme perpetrators could well be much younger.

Barnard was the first to propose that people harmed by economic crimes should be able to present victim-impact testimony (also known as victim allocution) prior to sentencing.

Morton Chalek of New York wrote: "I am 86 years old. I have a broken knee. I have lung cancer and thanks to Madoff, I am now bankrupt".

The judge said he was especially touched by one victim letter from a widow whose husband had passed away. Madoff had told her "don't worry, your money is safe with me" when she went to see him after her husband's death.

15.27 BST Donald Ambrosino, a retired New York City corrections officer is the first victim to speak. "How could someone do this to us?” he said "We worked honestly and so hard.”

Also see Madoff sentenced to 150 years for Ponzi Scheme