Skilling gets 24 years

So Jeff Skilling had the next chunk of his life mapped out for him this afternoon: The former Enron CEO was sentenced to 24 years and four months in prison, meaning he'll get out of jail when he's 76.

U.S. District Judge Sim Lake ordered Skilling to home confinement for a while — for how long, it's not clear: Lake asked the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to recommend when Skilling should be sent to jail. We're not sure if that has anything to do with Skilling's request to stay free until later this year or while he appeals. Until he gets word from the prison bureau, Skilling will have to wear an ankle monitor and stay home except for court appearances, medical appointments and church services. He'll also have to take part in a drug/alcohol abuse program and a mental health program.

Skilling's comments to the court before his sentencing were brief; in them, he said he wanted to clear the record about whether he felt remorse over the Enron collapse. "These last five years … [have] been incredibly hard on my family, the employees of Enron and the community. In terms of remorse, I cannot imagine more remorse. I have friends who have died. Good men," Skilling said. He also took the chance to remind everyone that he did nothing wrong: "I am innocent of every one of these charges."

Ten former Enron employees also addressed the court, and they didn't pull any punches: Anne Beliveaux, who worked for the company for 18 years, told Skilling, "The worst mistake Mr. Lay did was to hire you and bring you in to run the company, a company we all loved." Dawn Powers Martin, an Enron retiree, was a little more blunt: "Mr. Skilling has proven to be a liar, a thief and a drunk," she said. "He has betrayed everyone who trusted him. Shame on me for believing the management of Enron."