Hacker News Reader

Jail sentences are not speed limits. The maximums are set high so that a judge determining sentencing has flexibility in extreme cases, not because they expect most sentences to actually be that high. Yes, he could've gotten more than 35 years if they threw the book at him on every count, but he also could've gotten the minimum sentence, which everyone completely ignores. I don't know what the minimum sentences are for the crimes in question off the top of my head, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were very light. If anyone feels like doing the legwork on that, I'd love to have some definite numbers to throw around.

Even if the prosecution could prove he's guilty, the sentence will be decided by a judge. There are cases in similar spirits to this case when someone knowingly commits an illegal act for a just cause. In these cases, even if they could prove guilt, judges typically would hand out a very light sentence.

Under the federal sentencing guideline system there are a series of factors the Judge must take into account when setting the sentence. Given that some of these are wholly objective (i.e. first time offender), it can be said that it would have been impossible for him to have gotten the maximum penalty theoretically allowed.