Again - useless to compare him to Aldrich. Attorneys who represent drug dealers do that and it doesn't work if you go far afield in your pleas or comparisons. For every case that you find that indicates he should get less, the government can find a case supporting his getting more. That type of stuff, particularly in a different area of criminal activity, IMO, won't influence the judge.
It comes down, in my own opinion, to the specific facts of the case (all the conviction counts,) the extent of acceptance of his own actions, the extent of his feeling "sorry" for his own actions or at least taking responsibility for his own actions, the extent to which he is perceived as someone who will attempt to job the system (including the judicial process,) and whether or not he is perceived as someone who can be rehabilitated. Obviously, his history affects the judge's thinking on potential rehabilitation.
Often times, attorneys make recommendations to their clients, whether that is to "cooperate" and "roll" on others, or to "tough it out," with the hope that an appeal is one of those occasions that will bring a reversal. It's not a pleasant situation to be in and decisions are often very difficult, particularly for the judge. |
