Peterson said that at first glance, Pullum looked like he deserved time in prison, as someone with enormous authority who placed himself above the law by stealing public money.

But Peterson said that Pullum suffered from long-standing stress from his job and family life, and mental illnesses that included depression and post-traumatic stress disorder that went untreated and unreported to superiors. Pullum committed a crime, Peterson said, but he lost his job and pleaded guilty to a felony.

And while not excusing what Pullum did, Peterson said there were no legitimate legal needs to send Pullum to prison, such as public protection, deterrence from future crime or treatment needs that can only be met behind bars.

“The question is, do I send you to prison to address the outrage the public feels?” Peterson said. The answer was no.

“Cops are not super-human,” Peterson said. They are ordinary men and women who the public asks to do a job that is dangerous, he said.

Peterson said that if he felt that Pullum’s crime was part of a larger pattern of corruption, “I would send you to prison in a heartbeat.”