Does Wall Street Have A Problem With Felony Charges?
Over the summer, Morgan Stanely financial adviser Martin Joel Erzinger, pictured, drove over a doctor who was on his bike and then kept going, "until he reached a Pizza Hut parking lot, where he stopped and called Mercedes auto assistance to report the damage to his vehicle."
Meanwhile, Dr. Steven Milo suffered damage to his knees and scapula, spinal cord injuries, bleeding to the brain, and in just the last six weeks, 'disabling' headaches and the possibility of multiple surgeries. One would have likely assumed the charges for Marty would be quite to very serious but a court has decided they'll only amount to two misdemeanour traffic charges and restitution to the victim. Apparently the rationale behind the decision was that a judge felt strongly that MJE should have to pay the doctor, which, sure, makes sense but that in order to do so, Erzinger would need to remain employed on Wall Street. And therein lies the rub.
According to District Attorney Mark Hurlbert, "Felony convictions have some pretty serious job implications for someone in Mr. Erzinger's profession." It's not something we've stopped to consider before, but now that the situation has presented itself and at least one or two of you probably have 'be on the offensive end of a hit and run' on top of the To Do list, maybe we should. Is Wall Street as judgmental as Hurlbert claims? Or is he in fact being a little dramatic here? Would most firms in fact be cool with a felony charge? Would some see it as a reason to hire you in the first place? Let's break it down.
Morgan Stanley financial adviser escapes felony charges for hit-and-run 'because it could jeopardise his job' [Daily Mail]
