The Attorney General of the U.S., Eric Holder, is now acting as an economic advisor by factoring economic consequences into the justice process [1].
This means that, if a crime is committed and evidence exists to prosecute, the Attorney General may stay proceedings to protect the economy.
This is an incredible and fascinating development in the American Capitalist Democracy. As far as I understand, there is no precedent for such logic in any democratic legal system. A corporation that is so vital to the nation that it is immune from legal consequence cannot exist in a capitalist democracy.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but this new system is very reminiscent of the mean human society throughout history: oligarchy.