Two Bills Fighting to Combat Our Two-Tiered Justice System

By Meryem Dede, Esq., Executive Director, Tide Shift Justice Project

“If two people commit the same crime ward in radically different directions based purely on their financial means. And not because one was pro se and one hired an attorney. Not because one had a public defender. Not because one got a sweetheart plea and the other didn’t. All things being otherwise equal, one person who is wealthy will be far less impacted by our justice system than another person who is financially struggling, purely from their ability to pay fines and fees imposed during the life of their case. While fines and fees are a mere inconvenience to people with means, to those who cannot pay, these costs can negatively impact their lives long after their criminal case is resolved.” Click here to read more.