He planned to throw acid on people, and now he gets off with 48 hours community service and an expunged criminal record? Would these prosecutors have been so lenient with a plea had the acid been meant for them?
First, as others have stated, the acid was intended for insertion into the air conditioning system to create a terrible smell, not to disfigure any person.
Second, this person pled guilty to "conspiracy", which means he didn't act alone. It may well be that the prosecutor arranged this deal in order to more forcefully prosecute his associate in crime.
We may not have heard the last of this case.
And I remember reading not long ago about a not so bright looking couple getting 120 years prison sentence for their child being found malnourished with supposed maggots in the diaper. The child is alive, but was obviously neglected. Now, they are obviously not fit to raise children but life in prison is just clearly wrong.