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I feel like it is a little unfair comparing the number of years someone is sentenced and going to jail for and the number of years someone could go to jail for if they are found guilty and receive the max sentence.

(Perhaps people don't think the hacker did anything that should be considered a crime worthy of a sentence that long, but that's a totally different argument)

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Well, there's always the federal sentencing guidlines - they would provide a little insight into what he's really facing. Also, the rape charges were state (juvenile) charges, not federal. The federales don't mess around.

I don't think it is. Humans tend to instinctively "compromise" to a middle position. If you were to say, "this hacker must get between 2 and 40 years", you're much more likely (if I recall right?) to end up with them getting much more than the minimum.

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