BREAKING: Yagman Gets Three Years
Stephen Yagman has been sentenced to three years in federal prison.
His surrender date is January 15.
This morning I predicted he would get 4-6 years, and be allowed to surrender in 2008. This is a hair less than the sentence I thought he’d get, but not much.
UPDATE: Justin posted about this one minute after I did. I’m taking his post down and transferring the content to this update. Justin said:
My understanding is that with federal prison, 3 years actually means something close to 3 years.
Initial round up here, here and here.
Patterico’s own prediction/guess was off by a year – but he got the surrender date right. Not bad actually.
Especially for a completely uneducated guess.
Gems from the article linked above:
Yagman said he thought it wasn’t a crime to file tax returns but not to pay taxes.
After his 1998 suspension by the State Bar of California, Yagman had three surgeries on his back and was taking the drugs Vicodin and prednisone, he said. The drugs made him paranoid when the Internal Revenue Service began demanding back taxes, he said. As a result, he didn’t pay the taxes he owed.
. . . .
U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson called Yagman’s explanations “difficult to swallow.”
Gee. Ya think?
Heh!
nk (09a321) — 11/27/2007 @ 6:22 pmNot bad, nk.
I think your guess was more educated than mine.
Patterico (faeccf) — 11/27/2007 @ 6:23 pmI credit my goatherding days. It’s important to know whether they will stray off to the wheat or the young vines so you can head them off. š
nk (09a321) — 11/27/2007 @ 6:34 pmIncarceration couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
I introduced him to my wife a few years ago at a Trial Lawyer Association dinner honoring my dear friend, Barry Levin. When he asked why a nice Jewish girl like her was married to a goy motor cop, she pressed her boobs into my arm and said, “I needed a REAL man.”
It was the only time I ever saw him with nothing to say.
After devoting his life perpetuating all of the ugliest shyster-lawyer stereotypes, this is an apt culmination of his depraved career. I wish him three happy years with an Alpha-male cellmateā¦
Clark Baker (68ef14) — 11/27/2007 @ 7:54 pmDo you think the LAPD rank-and-file will give Yagman a Going-Away party?
Another Drew (8018ee) — 11/27/2007 @ 8:50 pmHow could you expect Yagman to know the law? After all, he’s only a lawyer.
fouse, gary c (d43d4a) — 11/27/2007 @ 9:21 pmThe government went after a man who stood up to them. What we have here is the “FLEA” on the dog. Once the government has it for you, they will get you… one way or the “OTHER”. I wish there were more “YAGMAN’S” in this world. These trumped up charges could happen to you… if you were on the wrong side of the fence.
Dave (d7082d) — 12/13/2007 @ 1:27 pm