In the Holocaust, 9th Circuit Solicitor’s Office finds a lesson in discretion

By: EMA ROSE SCHUMER

Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson unveiled a rigorous data collection initiative in 2019 to identify and better understand racial bias in prosecution.

Data on tens of thousands of criminal cases was shared with researchers at the Justice Innovation Lab and Loyola University in Chicago. In a 2021 report, they found Black men are disproportionately accused of crimes in Charleston County, but are treated similarly to White men once they enter the court system.

To reduce racial disparities in arrests, Wilson said the office now screens arrest warrants for lower level offenses that are often dismissed for insufficient evidence.

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