I'm not one to defend pervert criminals, but I think you're maybe jumping the gun on the judge in this case. The only information I've seen is that Smith was in court in December for a probation violation. There is a huge variety of things that can cause someone to go in for a probation violation. That could be anything from being five minutes late for a meeting with your p.o. to committing a new crime. The less serious violations are, duh, dealt with less seriously. If they weren't, we'd have to build MANY new prisons, since a high percentage of felons get called in at least once for a probation violation. Many violators do not receive additional incarceration for minor violations, although they may receive other consequences. This can be true whether the judge is liberal or conservative. So, before I'd feel comfortable condemning the judge, I'd want to know the nature of Smith's violation