Since 1974 over three-quarters of Americans have polled that courts are too lenient

Evidence

Whether this perception is correct is, of course, a matter of dispute. Some commentators deny that there is a crisis in the courts and view such criticisms as exaggerated claims designed to justify fundamental changes in the administration of justice. Interestingly, the attacks on the courts come from widely divergent perspectives and reflect quite different diagnoses of what ails the courts. Many Americans insist that the courts are too lenient in their treatment of criminals; since 1974, more than three-quarters of Americans have taken that position in annual polls. … A poll conducted after O. J. Simpson was acquitted of murder found that one third of African-American respondents expressed “little confidence” in the judicial system, while one third of white respondents concluded that the case showed that “there is no justice.” — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 100

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Public confidence in American courts and lawyers is strikingly low — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 98

Broader Connections

• Public confidence in American courts and lawyers is strikingly low #corroborates (0.82) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 98