Angelos ruling follow-up

The Tenth Circuit's disappointing, but not surprising, decision to affirm  the 55-year sentence given to Weldon Angelos (basics here) is already generating interesting responses.  First, these comments to my initial post are quite thoughtful and interesting.  In addition, the blog Wash Park Prophet has this fascinating post, titled "Conservatives Embrace Kafka," about the case.

More important for Angelos and others is how the legal system might follow-up the Tenth Circuit's decision.  There is a chance, but I think a slim one, that the full 10th Circuit might decide to review the case en banc or even that the Supreme Court might accept the case.  Recalling also that Judge Cassell in his sentencing opinion encouraged a reduction in the defendant's sentence to 18 yeas via a presidential grant of clemency, one might even view Angelos as a good case for President Bush to make more robust use of his executive sentencing powers.  On this front, I hope no one is holding his or her breath.

UPDATE: The New York Times now has this article on the Angelos decision, and also I see T Chris has this commentary over at TalkLeft.