Not all traffic violations are criminal. There are misdemeanor and felony traffic violations that would carry stiffer penalties and go on someone's permanent criminal record, but based on what I read, that was not the case with the charges that he plead guilty to. Without talking to the prosecutor, it is impossible to know why they did not try and bring heavier charges.

The problem with our court system is that justice is not always given out equally. It costs money to take people to trial and money to keep them in prison. In a perfect world, everyone who is charged with a crime would be put to trial and given a just sentence. But in many cases non violent offenders avoid jail because of the cost of taking them to trial to prosecute them. And those who do go to jail get released early. This happens all the time with those in prison for DWI. They are released to make room for the violent offenders.

...sometimes I wish I were more idealist than pragmatist....