Daren let me dissent from your take a little bit. I think prosecutors will see the big picture here and realize how lucky they are not to be faced with a case of mass murder. Public shock and horror will also play a role and will influence prosecutors.

I’m immediately reminded of the Scott Gardner case, the Gaston County teacher killed by a drunk illegal alien. At a dinner party a few weeks after the event, the topic of possible outcomes came up. One lawyer loudly declaimed that there was not much the state could do, rules are rules, it is too bad, yes, but he — as a lawyer — was quite certain that the perp would only get a few years.

Me, as a common journalist, said that prosecutors will find one way or another to make sure he got at least 15 years and no judge would quibble. I was told I didn’t understand.

He got 17 years.