This is what I was referring to: > If you end up in a position where you need a criminal lawyer, it’s rather likely you did something really foolish to attract

This is what I was referring to: > If you end up in a position where you need a criminal lawyer, it’s rather likely you did something really foolish to attract enforcement attention. And if you can’t afford an attorney, you can always take your chances with a public defender. But I wouldn’t recommend it. > If you think the punishments the US imposes are severe, that’s an even greater incentive not to commit crimes you can’t afford to defend yourself against. Those come across to my eyes as “you’re the idiot who got yourself here, shoulda thought of consequences sooner.” But given 1) unequal policing that targets the poor, 2) police corruption that goes uncorrected, 3) overworked therefore often inadequate public defenders, 4) the practice of throwing the book at anyone who dares go to trial among other ways of coercing a plea deal, it is way too easy to be innocent and poor, with your only real options being “plead guilty for 3-5 years” or “go to trial with the deck severely stacked against you and risk 30+ years.” With 95% of cases pleading out, there’s simply no way that innocents caught in the system are anywhere near “cosmic ray” levels of rare. Which brings us back to this statement from ‘harimau777 way upthread: > A system where you are only protected if you pay isn't justice, it's a protection racket. You disagreed with the second half of that statement, and that’s fair. Maybe a better way to state the main sentiment there is: A system where you are not protected unless you can pay isn’t justice.