Judge Merchan 'blew an opportunity' in sentencing 'recalcitrant criminal' Trump: journalist

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

34% : Merchan previously signaled that because Trump won the November election and that the duties of the presidency would outweigh any criminal penalty he would impose, he would only sentence the president-elect to "unconditional discharge," meaning there would be no jail time, probation, home confinement or even fines to go along with the sentence.
32% : "Johnston went on to say that as a journalist who has exposed significant financial crimes, some of the subjects of his reporting have ended up facing prison sentences so long that they "died behind bars."
28% : But Justice Juan Merchan -- who oversaw Trump's case -- failed to meet the moment in one particular way, according to a journalist who has covered Trump extensively.
26% : And he added that "in every case where the criminal defendants spit in the face of the judge" -- which he argued that Trump "metaphorically did throughout this trial" -- they got even tougher sentences.
25% : Trump walking out of court without any actual penalties is particularly noteworthy given that he was facing up to 20 years in prison for his 34 class E felony convictions of falsifying business records.

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