t has ever been recorded when the killer was white (ibid., 111). Following arrest and conviction of minorities, there is another racial disparity that occurs within the American justice system: sentencing. The length of sentences between whites and minorities is somewhat similar (although slightly biased against minorities) when the crimes occur against a minority. However, when minorities commit crimes against whites, they are sentenced harsher than when whites commit crimes against minorities (The Color of Justice, 164). The fact that minorities are at a higher risk of being arrested tends to increase sentences as prior convictions are more likely. Another less important factor in sentencing disparity is the race of the judge. During Jimmy Carter’s presidency, 14% of the appointed judges were minorities. 1.8% of Ronald Reagan’s appointees were minorities (ibid., 168). There is only a small amount of statistically significant evidence that shows white judges are more harsh on minorities than minority judges are. However, there is the perception (and reality) that the judicial system is primarily composed of whites. A sworn affidavit by Hirsch Friedman, a white Atlanta attorney and FBI informant, stated that the FBI, in the 60’s and 70’s, had a policy of investigating black officials in major cities in order to discredit and undermine their authority. The justification for this was, "that black officials were intellectually and socially incapable of governing major governmental organizations and institutions." (Free, African..., 39) Such attempts to undermine minority progress as administrators in the American justice system would obviously be reflected in the way the process of justice is enacted. Another factor contributing to the racial disparities in the justice system is education. L. Scott Miller stated in An American Imperative that the difference in SAT scores between whites and minorities is...
