Peter Henning , Wayne State Law School professor, commented about white-collar crimes and the typically light sentences handed out to convicted offenders. "When the judges are sentencing these people, in a lot of ways they see their neighbors," Henning said. "These are not violent people. They tend to be well-educated, well-spoken. Most have no prior criminal record. When you add that all up, that is the type of situation that tends to generate sympathy with the judge."