I read the case filing and a local news story about it, and I'm kind of with the judge on this one. This woman ruined a whole family's life, along with putting their employees out of work, due to her thievery, which was around $500,000 in crane bucks. While I like the tactic of her pleading guilty to a few counts so that she can stay out of prison and work to pay back the restitution, this chick has already proven that she knows how to cook the books -- she would always claim that she can't pay anything back while walking fancy free. With this in mind, I completely understand the judge throwing the book at this hambeast for ruining multiple lives. Nick did what he could, but she had it coming, and the judge was pissed about the destruction left behind.
I probably wouldn't recommend Nick giving the judge a piece of his mind, but he saw it as backing his client up, and he thinks he's the smartest person in any room, so that's the kind of outburst that is very on-brand for him. I'm sure his magic starfish puckered up nice and tight when he saw her name as the judge on this lawsuit, though.