It's the deterrence factor though.
It doesn't send much of a message if the first people to be prosecuted for abusing people on the internet are given what would be perceived to be a slap on the wrist. That goes double considering the attention that the trial was getting from the media.
The only real option is to give them a stiff sentence up front to make the point, then to have it reduced on appeal (when fewer are watching).
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wheresthefish Partly filled with wrong, Fri 24 Jan 2014, 20:39,
Reply)
Abusing people on the internet...
Might as well make a dedicated /talk prison.
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gunmetal drove slowly in the passing lane on, Fri 24 Jan 2014, 20:42,
Reply)
/talk is talk
and telling each other to fuck off or get bent is par for the course and mainly in jest. The line is crossed with personal threats, bullying and abuse about race, religion, sexual preferences etc. Not seen any of that and I hope the Mods then step in. I may be wrong though.
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spazzcaptain Misses Valin @, Fri 24 Jan 2014, 21:14,
Reply)
the evidence for exemplary sentencing is
extremely weak and what evidence there is points fairly clearly in the opposite direction. I'm just off to find an excellent paper published in 2006..
bear with me
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=660742
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colmcq2, Fri 24 Jan 2014, 20:47,
Reply)