Too often, the "sentence" isn't near what it should be. A recent case of a kidnapping a young girl turned on the fact that the felon had kept her on heroin. His attorney said her testimony was to be thrown out because of her condition. This illegal also committed murder during the same "spree"—the kidnapped girl survived. (Hannity today).
That’s the flip side. The justice system is a pendulum that spends more time at the extremes than at equilibrium. Violent perpetrators are set free, while petty criminals languish under harsh sentences. Conservatives rail for strict punishments, while the system is composed of committees filled with liberals who meet out decisions based on the most fashionable legal and academic sophistry.
“The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers...”