Leland Yee, a former California state Senator and crusader against the video game industry, has been sentenced to five years in prison. Yee pleaded guilty to racketeering charges in July.

Yee was brought up on corruption charges in a sweep that brought indictments against 29 individuals. He admitted to seven counts of racketeering, for which he received nearly $35,000 in payments.

The prosecution asked for eight years in prison. The defense requested five years on account of Yee’s ailing wife. The former senator will be required to serve a minimum of 80 percent of that time in jail.

During his time in the state Senate, Yee authored legislation that was signed into law preventing the sale or rental of violent video games to minors. That statute was later overturned by the United States Supreme Court for being in conflict with the first amendment.

[Source: CBS San Francisco]

Our Take

While Yee’s sentencing has nothing to do with his stance on video games, he was a major figure in securing a landmark victory for the industry. His sentencing is not a reason to celebrate, but rather a moment to reflect upon how we might improve our political system.