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The Mandoff saga reflected more on investigators abilities than on Mandoff's in my opinion. The SEC having botched 6 investigations of Mandoff so badly that eve

The Mandoff saga reflected more on investigators abilities than on Mandoff's in my opinion. The SEC having botched 6 investigations of Mandoff so badly that even Mandoff couldn't understand it. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/31/business/31sec.html?pagewanted=all http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/31/business/31sec.html?pagewa...

jpdoctor 15y ago
> The Mandoff saga reflected more on investigators abilities than on Mandoff's in my opinion. That is exactly the point. Nobody shows up with a lawyer because they want transparency above and beyond the call of duty. Investigators will take the need for a lawyer as having something to hide. Arriving without a lawyer says the opposite. But apparently several posters above don't believe so.
- kelnos 15y ago
  I think regardless of what investigators think if you bring a lawyer, you have a much better chance of avoiding incriminating yourself (even if you don't believe you've done anything wrong!) if you bring one. If you have done something wrong (again, whether you know it or not), you'll likely have a better outcome with a lawyer present from the start that without. But if you actually haven't done anything wrong, the lawyer can still help you avoid accidentally telling a "lie" or getting yourself into a situation you don't know how to handle. Even if the investigators believe you're hiding something just because you lawyered up, if you genuinely did nothing wrong, there's not much they can do... aside from making up evidence and framing you, or believing unreliable witnesses telling lies about you... which could happen in any case. The bottom line (as stated in the article) is that you are not qualified to know whether or not you have or have not truly done anything illegal. A lawyer will be much better able to help you make that determination and guide your interaction with the authorities for your benefit.
- scott_s 15y ago
  I actually don't think you understand the parent's point. The SEC was incompetent. They weren't capable of finding Madoff's fraud.
drv 15y ago
Who's "Mandoff"?
dredmorbius 15y ago
That said, what you say can be held against you. What your lawyer says for you can't so much. Which is why even lawyers may want to have lawyers.
Anti-Ratfish 15y ago
Sorry about the repeated misspelling of Madoff. It won't let me edit it now.

jpdoctor 15y ago

> The Mandoff saga reflected more on investigators abilities than on Mandoff's in my opinion. That is exactly the point. Nobody shows up with a lawyer because they want transparency above and beyond the call of duty. Investigators will take the need for a lawyer as having something to hide. Arriving without a lawyer says the opposite. But apparently several posters above don't believe so.

kelnos 15y ago
I think regardless of what investigators think if you bring a lawyer, you have a much better chance of avoiding incriminating yourself (even if you don't believe you've done anything wrong!) if you bring one. If you have done something wrong (again, whether you know it or not), you'll likely have a better outcome with a lawyer present from the start that without. But if you actually haven't done anything wrong, the lawyer can still help you avoid accidentally telling a "lie" or getting yourself into a situation you don't know how to handle. Even if the investigators believe you're hiding something just because you lawyered up, if you genuinely did nothing wrong, there's not much they can do... aside from making up evidence and framing you, or believing unreliable witnesses telling lies about you... which could happen in any case. The bottom line (as stated in the article) is that you are not qualified to know whether or not you have or have not truly done anything illegal. A lawyer will be much better able to help you make that determination and guide your interaction with the authorities for your benefit.
scott_s 15y ago
I actually don't think you understand the parent's point. The SEC was incompetent. They weren't capable of finding Madoff's fraud.

drv 15y ago

Who's "Mandoff"?

dredmorbius 15y ago

That said, what you say can be held against you. What your lawyer says for you can't so much. Which is why even lawyers may want to have lawyers.

Anti-Ratfish 15y ago

Sorry about the repeated misspelling of Madoff. It won't let me edit it now.