Curtis Martinson's tardy sentencing for mid-decade banking crime. Sometimes the wheels of justice move slowly. But for a plea-bargain, the felon can keep his nose clean in intervening time, and dodge jail time.

Yesterday's sentencing, reported here by PiPress (a very brief excerpt below, so read the item itself for further interesting detail):

Curtis Alan Martinson was sentenced Monday to two years' probation and a $20,000 fine for conspiracy to commit bank fraud related to the Ramsey Town Center development.

Though Martinson, 55, could have faced up to six months in prison, U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz noted that prosecutors never connected the losses suffered by the banks that backed the Town Center project to the "dishonesty of Martinson and others."

You can say that again. It was a dumb project from the get-go, but the bankers did not make it dumb. That was done by the Met Council and the other local politicians, as well as the money-grubbing mentality of the landowner-land speculators, (with one as dilettante-politician with a purpose). Next, PiPress notes:

In addition to the probation and the fine, Martinson will perform 100 hours of community service in each of the next two years.

For community service I think they should make him ride around Town Center's vast wasteland acreage on a rider-mower whenever the weeds get above eight inches.

That's it. Read the rest at Pi-Press.