The Liberal Eleventh - German Sexual Depravity and Hungarian Hookers!

Turns out, even in the Eleventh Circuit, the government needs to prove that you know your are doing something illegal (obstructing a forfeiture proceeding) when you go to your friend's back yard to dig up $350,000.00 hidden in PVC pipes under the pool deck, in order to convict you.

In United States v. Friske, the 11th felt that knowledge of the forfeiture proceeding would have been one way of doing that:

"The only way the jury could conclude that Friske knew his actions were likely to affect a forfeiture proceeding, in the absence of any evidence that he was aware that a forfeiture proceeding was pending or foreseeable, would be through speculation. But speculation is not enough to sustain a conviction based on circumstantial evidence."

In light of this rare reversal, I am waiting for (1) the order vacating the opinion in favor of en banc review or (2) the Sun to turn blood red while locusts eat our oranges.

I am quite certain that Friske's lawyers will not be celebrating thier victory in the same manner as the German reinsurance executives do (of course, this assume that his attorneys were NOT state court PDs):

"One of the biggest insurance companies in the world held a party for salesmen where they were rewarded with the services of prostitutes.

Munich Re is the world's biggest re-insurer - in other words, the company acts as an insurance company for other insurance companies.

One of its divisions, Ergo, told the BBC that the party had taken place to reward salesmen in 2007.

A spokesman said the people who organised it had since left.

The gathering was held at a thermal baths in the Hungarian capital Budapest as a reward to particularly successful salesmen.

'Whatever they liked'

There were about 100 guests and 20 prostitutes were hired.

A German business newspaper said the prostitutes had worn colour-coded arm-bands designating their availability, and the women had their arms stamped after each service rendered.

According to Handelsblatt, quoting an unnamed participant, guests were able to take the women to four-poster beds at the spa "and do whatever they liked".

"After each such encounter the women were stamped on the lower arm in order to keep track of how often each woman was frequented," the paper quoted the man as saying.

"The women wore red and yellow wrist bands. One lot were hostesses, the others would fulfil your every wish.

"There were also women with white wrist bands. They were reserved for board members and the very best sales reps."

A spokesman for Ergo told the BBC that the party had happened, but said it was not the usual way of rewarding their employees."

Okay, some thoughts:

1) The 5-1 ratio seems a bit slim to me.  Even with the ability to identify the more "frequented" of the women, odds don't look so good.

2) What is the usual way the employees are awarded?

3) Who determined which women wore the white wrist bands?

4) What did the high performing female sales reps earn?

5) I know the Germans enjoy a special reputation for sexual depravity, but how does one company employ 100 dickheads who would do this type of thing?