Do you have evidence to the contrary outside of a news story? When AP writes a story it’s probably skewed to their way of thinking.
Armed Robbery is Armed Robbery and it’s still Armed Robbery if you only do it once.
His lawyer is very relevant.. Obama is irrelevant any time I’ll give you that.
Citizen robs store, sentenced to jail at a cost of $35-40K per year to house him. 13 years at $35K = $455,000 +/- (not peanuts) and a MAJOR cost savings to the state since they never had to house him.
Same citizen works for 13 year and pays his taxes (whatever that turns out to be), thus CONTRIBUTING to the states coffers. (More money for the state). The state ACTUALLY made (saved) money by NOT putting him in prison.
If they send him to prison now, he should sue the state for ALL his expenses during his “wait time” and INCLUDE the money the state “saved” (did not spend on his care) by NOT spending it on his housing and care during the LONG wait period. (Does all that make sense?)