A comment by one of our esteemed commenters, Aristotle’s Sausage, was posted on the report: Sean Buckley – Allison Mack Is on Path to Rehabilitation. Aristotle’s Sausage’s identity is unknown to Frank Report.
While I agree with Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis’ fair and practical decision to make an extreme downward departure from the sentencing guidelines of 14-17.5 years, and sentence Mack to three years in prison, I welcome contrasting views.
The photos and captions were selected by Frank Report. The opinions of Aristotle’s sausage are his [or her] own.
By Aristotle’s Sausage
Sean Buckley’s oral argument before Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis at the sentencing hearing of Allison Mack is an astounding piece of rhetoric.
Sean Buckley, attorney for Allison Mack, leads her out of court and past reporters, after she made bail after spending several days in jail.
“Now, to be clear, Ms. Mack fully accepts responsibility here. “
Except that the whole point of attorney Sean Buckley’s statement to the court is that his client should not bear responsibility for her actions. He wants zero jail time for his client.
Taking responsibility without bearing the consequences. Neat trick if you can get away with it. This is known as sophistry, the amoral art of persuasion. In modern parlance, it is often known as “spin”. Lawyers are infamous for it and Allison Mack’s expensive advocate Sean Buckley is very good at it.
Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis calls the shots at his sentencing hearings, as he did at the hearing for Allison Mack.
Buckley even goes so far as to elaborate on his client’s crimes:
“Nothing that she has said changes anything about the abhorrent conduct that she engaged in, about the harm that she caused the victims… Nothing that she says excuses that and we’re not asking the Court to excuse that.”
Except Buckley is asking precisely that: He expects the court to excuse Mack’s abhorrent conduct and the harm that she caused the victims. He’s asking for zero prison time and to hell with her abhorrent conduct and her victims.
It’s a bold rhetorical ploy, a diabolical twisting of words. And it was effective. Judge Garaufis got played.
“We have heard that some of those individuals are not satisfied with the apologies that she has provided. We understand that completely”
Again, this is a 180 spin. Some individuals are not satisfied with poor Allison’s so very sincere apologies. Well, aren’t they unforgiving bastards! What the hell is wrong with these people! But no, we don’t blame them, those bastards. Perish the thought. We, in our generosity, understand their unforgiving nature. I mean, haters gotta hate, right?
Again, this is outrageous sophistry. But it worked! Judge Garaufis got played like a fiddle.
A fiddle is also known as a violin. To play someone like a fiddle is an idiom that suggests that a person skillfully manipulated another person just as the accomplished fiddler manipulates his violin to produce the sounds he wants.
Forgotten were Mack’s abhorrent offenses. Forgotten were the racketeering and the criminal conspiracy, the extortion, the enslavement. Her victims and the cruel things she made them do. Her involvement in Keith Raniere’s sex trafficking. The branding with his & her initials.
The debate continues as to whether or not Allison Mack’s initials were included in the brand. While most say it was not, including Keith Raniere, it has been speculated that her initials are included and that Raniere did so in order to put the blame on her if she was caught. While there is no hard evidence of the latter, it is interesting that the AM can be seen right-side but in order to see the K-R, one needs to see the brand turned 90 degrees counterclockwise.
For these things, Mack takes responsibility but won’t bear the consequences.
This is what comes with money and privilege and a slick legal team.
