[pyx]

The Judge interrupted the convicted man and said, "It is your opportunity to convince me you need a lesser sentence. It is not a soapbox for your political views."

I have two (2) questions;

What is the AVERAGE sentence for a first time offender convicted of first degree murder in Kansas ?

Why is someone given a greater sentence for making a political statement with which the Judge does not agree ? Conversely, is the Judge given the sentencing latitude to give Scott Roeder a lesser sentence, if Scott Roeder had made a political statement with which the Judge agreed or approved ?

[trumandogz]

Roeder showed no remorse.

However, he will have a chance to show remorse when he goes before the parole board right before his 103rd birthday.

[Melas]

It’s really all academic. The judge didn’t really have a lot of practical discretion here. The minimum he could have given Roeder was 25 years to life, and instead he gave him 50 years to live. The truth is that at his age going in, he wasn’t coming out alive anyway.