Four years ago, Frank Quattrone, head of the technology investment banking group at Credit Suisse First Boston was indicted for for obstructing justice and witness tampering. The Feds wanted to know if the bank had given certain clients preferential treatment and felt that Quattrone had asked some of his people to hide evidence.

Quattrone then went through a series of prosecutions: One ended in a mistrial, he was convicted in another case, but that was overturned on appeal and eventually prosecutors settled for a deal where the banker said he would keep his nose clean for a year. According to San Jose Mercury News: "Quattrone's only obligation under the deferred prosecution agreement was to stay out of trouble and keep the court advised of his movements."

He kept his part of the bargain and yesterday that year of good behavior ended. The charges against him are now history.

There is a clear temptation to say that Quattrone bought himself a good deal because he had millions of dollars to pay for lawyers, money that is not available to all defendants. But, others, from Enron management to Conrad Black, have also had cash for big defenses and lost.

Quattrone was able to hold his own. He almost certainly has a fairly good case as judges and juries are not jabbering dupes. At least not all of them.

Quattrone cannot escape the stigma of being prosecuted, but perhaps he will now do something that will, in the eyes of the media and Wall Street, make the finale seem fair. He says he has big plans.

Douglas A. McIntyre is a partner at 24/7 Wall St.