NEW YORK CITY — The Ingham County judge who sentenced disgraced Michigan State University sports doctor Larry Nassar to what will amount to a life in prison appeared on the Today Show Monday morning for one of her first interviews after the January sentencing.

Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina told Today Show hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie that she was surprised and pleased by how much the world took notice of Nassar's case.

"This is a world-wide epidemic," she said Monday. "It opened the world to say 'me too, let's start the discussion,' which should have happened years ago and this (the widespread abuse by Nassar) never would have happened."

Aquilina was both criticized and lauded for her demeanor during sentencing. Some said she seemed biased, and others held her up as a hero for her harsh words to Nassar after more than 100 victims gave impact statements in a seven-day sentencing hearing.

The most controversial statement — "I just signed your death warrant" — came after Aquilina announced Nassar's sentence, giving him 40 to 175 years in prison, to be served after Nassar completes his 60-year federal sentence for possession of child pornography. Nassar was later senteced to 40 to125 years in Eaton County.

Nassar attempted to get a new sentencing hearing with a different judge in July,with his attorneys saying Aquilina was "admittedly not an unbiased and impartial judge."

"The judge herself openly lamented that she could not impose cruel and unusual punishment upon the defendant, indicated her expectation that he would be harmed in prison, without condemning it, and finally proclaimed, with apparent relish, that she was signing his 'death warrant,'" Nassar's attorneys wrote in the motion.

Nassar's request was denied.

When Guthrie asked her about the critics, Aquilina said her courtroom is "the people's courtroom, and they have a right to say what they want of me."

Nassar had pleaded guilty at that point, Aquilina said. She still believes she gave him a fair sentence. She said she wanted to listen to all of the victims so she could see the "full picture of his grooming and his control."

"I am fair and impartial at sentencing," Aquilina said. "The fact that I kept listening is just justice."

If Nassar had provided anyone to speak on his behalf, she would have listened to them as well, Aquilina said. But he didn't.

And, to make things worse, Aquilina said, Nassar never showed any remorse.

"He still has no idea what he did," Aquilina said. "He still thinks he's a good doctor, that it was medical. It's not medical, sir."

Watch the interview here:

Related:

Transcript: What Larry Nassar said during his sentencing hearing

AG's Office investigation of MSU related to Nassar won't finish during Schuette's term

Full coverage: Larry Nassar

AG: Judge Rosemarie Aquilina 'voiced the community's moral outrage' over Larry Nassar

How Larry Nassar abused hundreds of gymnasts and eluded justice for decades

Inside the investigation and prosecution of Larry Nassar

Contact Kara Berg at 517-377-1113 or kberg@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @karaberg95.