You mention people of limited means. Without a doubt in my mind, the government often uses the inability of people to afford a good lawyer to convict them. And

You mention people of limited means. Without a doubt in my mind, the government often uses the inability of people to afford a good lawyer to convict them. And from what I have seen, public defenders leave a lot to be desired. I've heard people say that rich people get special treatment by the justice system but I suspect that they simply have to money necessary to make the system behave as it should.