But it wouldn't have been justice. He got the case dismissed. Sadly, at least nine out of 10 prosecutors would have gone for the conviction. And almost all the clients come from the city's poor neighborhoods. But such folks rarely become drug war prisoners.
Money buys a different set of circumstances in the system.
People who have it can make bond and be free while waiting for a trial. They can hire topnotch lawyers and make it so difficult to win convictions that prosecutors are reluctant to pursue them. Poor people who are charged with a crime can't afford to bond out. They can expect to be held in jail for months and months if they want a trial, which the prosecution tries to avoid by offering probation and quick release for a guilty plea. Even if a person is innocent, the deal may seem hard to turn down.