How Money Undermined Reforms in the Criminal Justice System

Lorain County Common Pleas Judge James Burge walks into the court room before sentencing Daniel Petric on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 in Elyria, Ohio.

New York Times reporters Andy Lehren and Shaila Dewan join us to discuss their recent series, “No Money, No Mercy,” which looks at how money undermined reforms to America's criminal justice system. Their story provides a national overview of pretrial diversion, a program that was intended to spare low-level offenders the ruinous consequences of having a criminal record while allowing prosecutors more time to go after dangerous offenders. Their full investigation looks at how one prosecutor used the diversion program to generate $1 million for his office.