The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. November 9, 2010 Hedge Fund Manager Escapes Felony Charges Thanks to His Job ----------------------------------------------------------- A wealthy hedge fund manager in Colorado has avoided facing felony charges for a hit-and-run accident because the local district attorney felt the charge could impact his high-paying job. Martin Erzinger, a fund manager at Smith Barney, allegedly ran over a cyclist with his Mercedes and then fled the scene. The cyclist suffered spinal cord injuries and bleeding from his brain. To the shock of cycling advocates, the local prosecutor, Mark Hurlbert, decided to charge Erzinger only with misdemeanors. Hurlbert said, “Felony convictions have some pretty serious job implications for someone in Mr. Erzinger’s profession, and that entered into it." .