[zaroth]

I'd like to see a control for the amount of money spent on legal defense. The anecdote in that report itself suggests that it's the skill level of the defense attorney which is most likely a dominant factor.

From someone I know with personal experience, after they were charged with possession with intent to distribute due to growing pot, they had 3 choices. Go to jail, spend $X on an attorney who would get them probation, or spend 10 * $X on an attorney who would get them off. Both attorneys had perfect records, n>100, at their respective objective.

[grasshopperpurp]

I'd like to see a control for the amount of money spent on legal defense.

So, then, why would black people spend less money on legal defense?

[zaroth]

People spend as much money on legal defense as they can possibly afford, obviously. But that doesn't make the system racist.

[grasshopperpurp]

So, black people have less money to spend on legal defense, because . . . ? And, do you think that the people in charge of the system don't know that black people have less money to spend on legal defense? Do you think they're unaware of the history of slavery -> convict leasing -> our modern prison system?