Imposing a harsh punishment in this situation, even if warranted, would not be seen as unbiased. The fallout would be intense. I’d be most concerned about the perception of those folks who don’t really pay attention to politics. Will they refuse to vote for someone who’s been to jail on a felony, or will it offend their sense of fair play and make them vote for “the underdog”? The sentence, whatever it is, has to be a 4D-chess move by the judge.
I really don’t think it’ll be jail time, but I’d love for it to be and more importantly I’d love for the election to bear out that choice.
Imposing a harsh punishment in this situation, even if warranted, would not be seen as unbiased. The fallout would be intense. I’d be most concerned about the perception of those folks who don’t really pay attention to politics. Will they refuse to vote for someone who’s been to jail on a felony, or will it offend their sense of fair play and make them vote for “the underdog”? The sentence, whatever it is, has to be a 4D-chess move by the judge.
I really don’t think it’ll be jail time, but I’d love for it to be and more importantly I’d love for the election to bear out that choice.