3 ms·

Rich people as defendants, I'm pretty sure we will see this go the way of no jail time. Lots of suspended sentences, probation, possibly house arrest and fines,

Rich people as defendants, I'm pretty sure we will see this go the way of no jail time. Lots of suspended sentences, probation, possibly house arrest and fines, all of which are easy for the rich to deal with.

Tomte 7y ago
Would poorer people definitely get jail time? Are you certain of that? The calculation by probation officials makes me think "no jail time" is the usual sentence here, and the prosecutors' demands are because of public pressure. While equality of law is usually understood to mean that the rich don't get more lenient treatment, it also means that the rich don't get punished more harshly, just because the public wants a spectacle.
- celticninja 7y ago
  I understand your point, but ultimately this isn't something a poor individual is going to face. The fraud perpetrated here can only be carried out by the relatively well off so if the sentence is something that they can just brush off, e.g. A big fine, then where is the equality? A poor person who was facing the same charge would no doubt be unable to pay the fine and would get jail time as a result of failing to pay. So while what you say is true, we need to ensure that the poor are not disproportionately affected by justice, and perhaps justice does need to factor in wealth when considering sentencing. Although that does happen at present in the US, unfortunately the wrong way around. Rich kids getting lenient sentences for offences poor kids face time for.
- celticninja 7y ago
  Fyi https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/5156/99b3bacf2a82ff98522675ccb3ec0ea16d6d.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiw_5v41sjkAhWTmFwKHbNiDVUQFjABegQIBhAB&usg=AOvVaw1GGPTldc9wV2_KE4j4LcOo https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https:/... I know you were maybe talking specifically about this case but as I said, poor people cant afford to bribe their kids way into college. But in general poor people are both more likely to be convicted and face harsher sentencing than their economically better off counterparts

Tomte 7y ago

Would poorer people definitely get jail time? Are you certain of that? The calculation by probation officials makes me think "no jail time" is the usual sentence here, and the prosecutors' demands are because of public pressure. While equality of law is usually understood to mean that the rich don't get more lenient treatment, it also means that the rich don't get punished more harshly, just because the public wants a spectacle.

celticninja 7y ago
I understand your point, but ultimately this isn't something a poor individual is going to face. The fraud perpetrated here can only be carried out by the relatively well off so if the sentence is something that they can just brush off, e.g. A big fine, then where is the equality? A poor person who was facing the same charge would no doubt be unable to pay the fine and would get jail time as a result of failing to pay. So while what you say is true, we need to ensure that the poor are not disproportionately affected by justice, and perhaps justice does need to factor in wealth when considering sentencing. Although that does happen at present in the US, unfortunately the wrong way around. Rich kids getting lenient sentences for offences poor kids face time for.
celticninja 7y ago
Fyi https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/5156/99b3bacf2a82ff98522675ccb3ec0ea16d6d.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiw_5v41sjkAhWTmFwKHbNiDVUQFjABegQIBhAB&usg=AOvVaw1GGPTldc9wV2_KE4j4LcOo https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https:/... I know you were maybe talking specifically about this case but as I said, poor people cant afford to bribe their kids way into college. But in general poor people are both more likely to be convicted and face harsher sentencing than their economically better off counterparts