A plea of guilty does not necessarily demonstrate remorse; the inference depends on the factual constituents, and a sentencing judge is entitled to find only 'limited' remorse where the plea was late, negotiated, and not accompanied by overt expressions of contrition. A qualified finding of remorse may properly reduce the assessment of rehabilitation prospects. Guilty pleas entered during the COVID-19 pandemic may attract an enhanced utilitarian discount on account of the disruption to courts, and a sentencing judge's failure to consider this enhanced value may constitute appealable error.
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