WASHINGTON — White defendants accused of a number of crimes in Virginia are much more likely than black defendants to get a plea deal that includes lesser charges or a reduced sentence, according to an analysis of statewide court records.
The Daily Press analysis looked at more than 110,000 case records from all parts of the state except Arlington and Fairfax counties and Virginia Beach, which have their own, separate, online court record systems.
It found that while 77 percent of white defendants charged with malicious wounding plead guilty to a less serious charge, only 35 percent of black defendants did.
Among other things, the analysis also found white defendants tended to get better outcomes in drug cases, whether resolved by a plea deal or a trial.
Twenty-nine percent of black defendants who pleaded guilty after originally facing marijuana distribution charges plea to less serious charges, compared to 36 percent of white defendants. Of those that go to trial, 35 percent of white defendants are convicted on lesser charges, compared to 22 percent of black defendants.
The analysis did not include criminal histories or other circumstances, but the ACLU says the analysis shows a clear and serious problem. It may only be exacerbated by overstrained public defenders and other lawyers representing poorer defendants.
