Live Event May 17: The End of Blind Justice?

If you’re a paid subscriber to The Free Press, you get certain perks—including the chance to meet our reporters, editors, sources, and special guests. We have one such event on May 17. We hope you’ll join us for a Free Press Behind the Scenes, where we delve into the story behind one of our most important recent investigations. 

Last week, Free Press reporter Rupa Subramanya sparked controversy—and conversation—with her piece “Is Justice Still Blind in Canada?” Her story showed how Canadian judges are giving more lenient sentences to non-white criminals on the grounds that they have been subjected to historic and systemic racism. This approach to criminal justice has already moved beyond Canada into the U.S., with California enacting the Racial Justice Act, which enables anyone convicted of a crime to challenge that conviction on the grounds of racial bias.  

Rupa talked to people on all sides of the issue—the convicts, the lawyers, the judges, and family members of the victims of crime to ask: Is this new approach to justice truly fair? And what is the right way to punish those who have committed crimes while addressing society’s problem of inequality? Can the two ever be achieved at the same time?

Free Press senior editor Peter Savodnik will host the conversation with Rupa and the following guests: Danardo Jones, a criminal law professor at the University of Windsor; Ryan Handlarski, a criminal defense attorney; and Nadia Robinson, who lost her partner in a hit and run—and saw his killer walk away with community service.

This is a thought-provoking debate you won’t want to miss. 

And if you’re not already a paid subscriber, what are you waiting for? Become a subscriber now—and we will see you at our Free Press Behind the Scenes event tonight at 5:00 p.m. PST / 8:00 p.m. EST. Please find the event details below, and leave questions for our speakers in the comments.