How would I say this — I have less of a problem with disparate sentences due to character and people asking the judge for leniency than people getting longer or shorter sentences largely due to differences in race or ethnicity. The latter smacks of repeating the mistakes of another era in reverse.

As far as people who “screw up”, I’d be more tolerant of people who do so in hot blood (say got in a barfight and it went too far) than people who do so in cold blood (“knockout game” type stuff, regardless of victim’s origin).

spd, on criminal law, I could see you saying “you did the crime, you do the time” to your son, cousin or nephew who committed a crime. That’s the price to pay for a screw up.
People from good families will tell their criminal relatives: “don’t worry, dear, we will get the best lawyer for you. We will ask the bishop, the mayor, the firechief, the scout leader, to vouch for you.” That’s the very definition of a discriminatory, selective process which is deep seated and institutionalized.