Manipulation on Trial Economic Analysis and the Hunt Silver Case [Hardcover]

The first economic analysis of the Hunt silver case, the biggest manipulation case ever brought to trial.This book is the first economic analysis of the Hunt silver case, the biggest manipulation case ever brought to trial. Drawing on interviews with the judge, jury and attorneys, as well as his own experience as an expert witness, the author focuses on the economic analyses used at the trial and investigates the problems introduced when economic analysis enters complex litigation.This book is the first economic analysis of the Hunt silver case, the biggest manipulation case ever brought to trial. Drawing on interviews with the judge, jury and attorneys, as well as his own experience as an expert witness, the author focuses on the economic analyses used at the trial and investigates the problems introduced when economic analysis enters complex litigation.The unprecedented rise and fall in silver's price during 1979-80 resulted in charges of market manipulation against the Hunt brothers of Dallas, charges that led to a lengthy trial and a guilty verdict. In this book Jeffrey Williams, who was an expert witness in the actual trial, focuses on the economic analysis used at the trial, the relationship of that analysis to the attorneys' arguments, and its effectiveness before the jury. Manipulation on Trial draws broadly applicable lessons from this important case. Through a series of essays, it investigates the elusive definition of manipulation, the difficulties of interpreting statistical evidence, the imprecision in calculating damages, and the hazards introduced when economic analysis enters complex litigation.List of figures; List of tables; Preface; Foreword Thomas O. Gorman; 1. Why the Hunt silver case? 2. Turmoil in the silver market; 3. Identifying a manipulation; 4. Testing for the cause of the price rise in silver; 5. Determining the appropriate price of silver; 6. Inferring manipulative intent; 7. The predicament of economic analysis in the courtroom; GloslCÔ