Shame on you, Sharpe

well, the judge (who saw more of this case than me, and YOU) turned down rather forcefully, the demand from the prosecution for a 20 year sentence

"U.S. District Judge William Martini said he compared sentences given to other prominent New Jersey politicians convicted of corruption in recent years, and concluded the government's request to send James away for more than a decade would be "an extreme injustice" that didn't match his crime.

The judge said there was no doubt James broke the law by failing to disclose he was romantically involved with Tamika Riley when he helped her buy nine plots in a city redevelopment zone between 2001 and 2005. But Martini said he struggled to identify a victim in the case, and said he also considered James' contributions during five terms as mayor.

"I have a track record here of a man who is 72 years old who accomplished a lot in his life," the judge said.

He sentenced the 39-year-old Riley to even less, 15 months in prison, finding she was a woman whose mistakes stemmed in part from her emotional entanglement with the former mayor. Both are expected to report to prison on Sept. 15. "