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I think the biggest factor in the comparison presented is the willingness of the teacher to plea bargain.
If you have the kind of proof against you that they did in this case and you don't deal and insist on trial, you're choosing to put your life in the hands of a judge and/or jury (ETA: actually minimum sentencing guidelines, rather than either) because I don't think you can usually expect the prosecutor or judge to see justice for you once you're convicted as something lighter than the offer that you turned down. After you're convicted of the charge that earns the minimum sentence, a lot of hands are tied.
I'd be glad if the guy were released because the sentence was excessive, but don't forget he was actually guilty of a crime/crimes, and that he (and his lawyer, I guess) chose to gamble at trial with a crime that carried this minimum sentence.
We can all feel like he wasn't really a child molester, but as the law was written, he was.
Last edited by UGAalum94; 06-25-2007 at 08:12 PM.
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