Well, good for the judge: I didn't know that there were any like him still sitting on the bench

Slain NYPD Detective Jonathan Diller’s widow, mom tear into his killer as judge throws the book at him

Despite a jury (I’d say “inexplicably” but this is New York) acquitting the defendant of murder, the presiding judge still managed to put hin away for life on the manslaughter conviction.

Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Aloise said the hefty prison term was an easy decision — sentencing the cop-killer to 115 years to life in prison.

“Mr. Rivera, it took me five minutes to calculate these numbers,” he said. “It will take you a lifetime to calculate the grief you have caused these people.

“And to the family,” the judge added, “I know the defendant killed your loved one, and nothing can take away that loss, not even the knowledge that the defendant will die in a prison cell, which I promise you he will.”

,….Rivera shot and killed Diller during a scuffle with police in Far Rockaway on March 25, 2024, with the fatal encounter caught on chilling bodycam.

Dozens of NYPD officers packed the courtroom during the thug’s trial, providing support for the fallen cop’s widow, who broke down on April 1 when the jury acquitted Rivera of the top murder charge.

Rivera was instead convicted of manslaughter, of the attempted murder of NYPD Sgt. Sasha Rosen and of illegal weapons charges.

The career criminal faced a sentence of 90 years to life behind bars, but Aloise tacked on another 25 years, as allowed under state law for “persistent predicate felons,” due to his lengthy rap sheet.

Rivera, who was dressed in all black, opted not to address the court during the sentencing hearing — while his lawyer griped that he did not get a fair trial and harped on the murder charge acquittal. 

“Under the law, he is not a murderer because he never intended to murder Jonathan Diller,” defense attorney Jamall Johnson told the judge. “Mr. Rivera did not receive a fair trial. The jury did not have all of the evidence.”

Johnson said he would appeal the verdict — but the judge had his own reprimand for the lawyer. 

“There was one argument you made to this jury that really hit home,” Aloise said, referring to Johnson’s claims at trial that his client had just made a bad decision.

 “I wasn’t mad at you for doing it. I was saddened at the reality of how low we’ve sunk, morally, as a society,” Aloise told the lawyer Monday.

“When you equate a persistent felon walking these streets with a loaded weapon with one bad decision, it’s sad,” he said. “And it’s just the reality of where we are now, and that mindset, I think that is what empowers a guy like this.”

who delivered powerful testimony during Rivera’s trial, also slammed him for leaving her young son without a father.

“There is a silence in our house where there should be his voice. The person who lost the most is our son Ryan,” she said.

…. “Your honor, I have watched the defendant in court over the last two years. I have never seen any remorse, only concern for himself,” she said.

“He didn’t just take our loved one, he took our whole world,” the grieving woman continued. “My son deserves justice.”