America’s justice system seems to be favoring the upper class when it comes to crimes being committed.

Justin Bieber was arrested in Florida on January 23, 2014. He was said to be smoking marijuana, driving under the influence, driving without a valid license and resisting arrest but only received 12 hours of anger management.

According to criminaldefenselaywer.com, “Defendants will face up to six months in jail, a fine of between $500 and $1,000, or both” for just driving under the influence of marijuana in Florida.

This shows that Bieber was let off easy and if it was a normal middle-class or lower-class American citizen, they would have received a crueler penalty. Because Bieber is famous and has more money than others, he had an easy getaway.

“I believe that money equals power against the justice system. The more known you are the more the justice system will lay off,” said Kevin Vo, a sophomore at Fairfax High School.

Maybe because the law is on the celebrities’ side, they know they will get a lighter punishment than others.

“I think they can get away with things because they can afford the best lawyers and the lawyers can help defend them when it becomes a serious crime,” said sophomore Reba Reeves.