 Finnigan announced his immediate parliamentary resignation on 12 November, avoiding a potential future disqualification from sitting in parliament due to a conviction.During sentencing submissions, Finnigan's lawyer urged the court not to record a conviction and argued that Finnigan was being vilified, abused, and threatened with violence and death on a daily basis, and lived in constant fear of retaliation up to and including vigilante acts, and was concerned about a future inability to be an employed functioning member of society.It was also argued that the offence was "at the lowest end of the scale".