What keeps a judge from making whatever decision they want when dealing with criminal court cases?
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First what things judges can rule on in the first place. Judges rarely rule on innocence/guilt because you have the right to trial by jury.
They can make rulings on including/excluding some evidence or testimonies, but that’s normally subject to specific criteria described in law and precedents (previous similar rulings).
Often when determining sentencing, judges can be formally bound by mandatory sentences (like mandatory minimums) or can be informally expected to remain within sentencing guidelines set by the law.
And if judges decide to go rogue, those that are elected have the challenge of not being re-elected; those that are appointed can still be impeached if their decisions are thought to be from bad behavior or some impeachable offense (like letting friends and family off); and of course all your decisions as a judge (at least until you get to SCOTUS) can be appealed. So if you make a habit of making decisions that get appealed that comes across in your record and it makes it even easier for future decisions to be overturned on appeal.
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