Judge Merchan: Never Before Has This Court Been Presented with Such a Unique and Such a Remarkable Set of Circumstances

EXCERPT:

MERCHAN: “The court is vested with broad discretion in determining what sources or evidence it may consider to arrive at an appropriate sentence. In doing so, the court must consider the facts of the case, along with any aggravating or mitigating circumstances. In my time on the bench, I have been called upon to grapple with this weighty responsibility for countless defendants who have been found guilty after trial for an assortment offenses ranging from non-violent class E felonies to the most heinous crimes including homicides, sex trafficking and child sexual abuse. The task is always difficult and deserving of careful consideration, whether the sentence be an unconditional discharge or incarceration of 25 years to life. However, never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances. Indeed, it can be viewed fairly that this has been a truly extraordinary case."