前安然CEO减刑10年的真相

    2009年1月，第五巡回法庭维持对斯基林的判决，但否决了因危害“金融机构”而加刑，将评分下调至36级，量刑年限188-235个月，也就是最短15年零8个月。该上诉法院要求发回重审。

    但重审由于斯基林提起的其他上诉而被无限期延迟，其中包括两次美国最高法院审议（拒绝推翻判决）和上诉法庭的另一轮审议。在斯基林推翻判决的前景变得渺茫后，控诉双方开始认真谈判。

    上周公布的协议将其审判评分再降1级，量刑年限为168-210个月。如果判刑年限处于下限，刑期将可再次缩减1年零8个月，至14年。重审定于6月21日在休斯顿进行。

    “对于此不应有误会，”希尔德表示，“这不是美国政府抛弃了一项重要的审判。美国政府不只是决定减刑10年。协议只是将斯基林的刑期缩短了几年。”

    但希尔德指出，现在斯基林可以“看到曙光了。他知道，有一天他将能走出监狱。”（财富中文网）

    助理记者：Doris Burke

    In a January 2009 decision, the Fifth Circuit upheld Skilling's conviction, but threw out the "financial institution" enhancement, cutting his number back down to 36, with a range of 188 to 235 months -- or as little as 15 years and eight months. The appeals court ordered that he be resentenced.

    But that resentencing was postponed indefinitely pending more Skilling appeals, which included two trips to the Supreme Court (which declined to overturn his conviction), and another round before the court of appeals. Negotiations began in earnest after Skilling's prospects for overturning his conviction grew dim.

    The agreement announced last week trims his sentencing number just one more level, to a range of 168 to 210 months. If sentenced again at the bottom of the range, this would produce a further reduction of one year and eight months, to 14 years. The resentencing is scheduled for June 21 in Houston.

    "Let there be no mistake about this," says Hilder. "It's not as though the government gave away a significant sentence. The government didn't just decide to throw out 10 years. The negotiations only shaved a couple of years off Skilling's sentence."

    But Skilling, Hilder notes, can now "see light at the end of the tunnel. He will know that there is a day he'll be able to walk out of there."

    Reporting by Doris Burke