New York State Assemblyman William Colton speaks to Liang supporters outside the Kings Country Supreme Court on Tuesday. "We are moving in the right direction, taking the steps toward justice,"Colton told China Daily after the sentence. Colton believes Liang is "a scapegoat and a distraction" of the government's failure to address the "terrible, deplorable conditions" at the pink houses, such as the darkened staircase and high crime rate. HEZI JIANG/China Daily