A 31 year-old woman was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after murdering her boyfriend.

Judge John McBain claimed that she was one of the worst “cold-blooded murderers” he had ever seen. She was accused of stabbing her boyfriend multiple times until he died, but she later stated it was out of self-defense. This left the ultimate question: “Wouldn’t your attacker stop after the receiving the first stab?”

During her trial the woman disrespected the deceased’s family members by rolling her eyes and snickering when they were on the stand mourning his death. The judge and people that attended the noticed her rude behavior. Judge John McBain didn’t take her behavior lightly and had a lot to say to her. “You gutted him like a fish in that apartment,” he said at the sentencing. “You were relentless. You stabbed, you stabbed, you stabbed, you stabbed, you stabbed until he was dead. I agree with the family; I hope you die in prison as well.” Should Judge McBain or the family of the deceased have this reaction?

Multiple questions arose from psychologists, news reporters, and even other judges. They questioned McBain’s initial reaction and questioned if he was even fit to be a judge. Psychologists that were interviewed believed McBain should be able to maintain and block out his personal emotions towards a criminal during their trial. However, his initial reaction showed how unhealthy this occupation can be when one doesn’t know how to detached themselves from a case. Since his personal emotions came out, people questioned whether or not her sentencing was fair or done out of hate. Did the crime or her behavior trigger his reaction? People questioned past, present, and future sentencing of McBain’s and became skeptical about any other judges that may disrupt court by expressing their feelings.

HMSA student Jorge Melo stated that “this type of judicial behavior is what causes either innocent people to go away or guilty people to go away for a longer period of time. Their personal hate gets in the way and the criminals take the blame. Yes, some criminals do deserve the extra sentencing, but innocent people don’t deserve to go to prison. And those who get 10 years instead the 5 years over something that wasn’t a federal crime get judged by the judge.”