On average, Dutch courts impose harsher sentences on suspects who are less well-off than those in a better socioeconomic position, the Research and Data Center (WODC) found in a new study on criminal law.
On average, Dutch courts impose harsher sentences on suspects who are less well-off than those in a better socioeconomic position, the Research and Data Center (WODC) found in a new study on criminal law.
Would love to know more about what kind of crimes this is talking about, and how the less-poor can bullshit their way out of it
They can afford better lawyers, most likely.
Yeah, I would assume this pattern holds across much of the world…
It’s probably also stuff like clothing and looks. Poorer people may not have an expensive suit that makes them look serious about the case. More wealthy people will have one. Sure in theory it shouldn’t make a difference but judges are also just humans that get influenced by those things. Add to that better (or worse) education about laws as well as a difference in behaviour from (lack) of training and you end up with different sentences.
Generally the people that can spend more money will be better prepared and that will have a positive return even if it probably shouldn’t matter that much in front of a court.