The trial of Elizabeth Holmes (Theranos)[sentenced to 11+ yrs, 18Nov2022]

[LSLGuy]

@wolfpup

@Northern_Piper

@wolfpup

the kinds of exceptionally long sentences the US courts love to hand out

For the most part, the courts are following the sentence directives provided by the people’s representatives in Congress and state-houses.  

Is that supposed to be an explanation? Lawmakers and/or their constituents favour such guidelines because of a prevalent tough-on-crime mentality. It’s part of the American zeitgeist, perhaps rooted in primitive frontier tradition.

IMO @Northern_Piper’s point was that it is not a matter of trial court discretion. Which your phraseology appeared to suggest it was. This is not a case of “hanging judges”.

Instead it’s a case of “hanging legislatures”. Which, yes, is part and parcel of the religious retributionist moralist frontier mindset so romanticized by some factions of the US public.