Mostly if you find an attached GitHub repository to the software, you can have a bit more trust in it than otherwise, it means that the developer is putting their cards on the table and not trying to hide something nefarious. Of course there are caveats to this but it’s a good start.
It’s getting pretty hopeless to see all these political figures so often put in front of a judge, but it seldom has an impact on their career. Never imprisoned, fines are hardly a problem considering how rich (or friend of rich people) most of them are, or they have someone to take the fall.
These days, it’s even an advantage to be prosecuted or condemned, making them appear as victims.