"Black defendants in Broward County are 10 times as likely to be incarcerated for a drug offense as white defendants, although drug usage rates by the two groups are basically the same...

Jeff Marcus, chief of the department's felonies division, said the report did not provide enough information to make an accurate assessment, such as a defendant's prior record and specific drug offense. ''There's other factors that have to be looked into,'' Marcus said.

Broward Public Defender Howard Finkelstein said he was not surprised at the national figures.

''When you add the fact that law enforcement targets its resources in a poor community, [which is] by and large a minority community, coupled with a judiciary, which is by and large white and not filled with African Americans, it will yield tougher sentences,'' Finkelstein said."

JUSTICE POLICY INSTITUTE REPORT ON RACIAL DISPARITIES:
http://www.justicepolicy.org/content.php?hmID=1811&smID=1581&ssmID=69

"SLAIN WESTON WIFE FEARED FOR LIFE":
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/330963.html

"But Broward Circuit Judge David Krathen did not sign off on the temporary injunction, saying that there was not sufficient grounds to grant the order. Krathen scheduled a hearing, as required by law. The hearing was set for Tuesday, Dec. 4.

''We have to follow the law, you don't go by a gut reaction,'' said Krathen, adding that he felt ''terrible'' about what happened."

"BROWARD JUDGE GOES ON TRIAL FOR MISCONDUCT":
http://www.miamiherald.com/466/story/331442.html

SENTINEL:
ALEMAN:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbaleman1204sbdec04,0,1083314.story

SENTINEL COMMENTS:
http://www.topix.net/forum/source/south-florida-sun-sentinel/TH96UA2KD49LCIVKM

JUSTICE BUILDING BLOG (Miami):
"ALEMAN, BLOGGING, AND THE BAR":
http://justicebuilding.blogspot.com/2007/12/aleman-blogging-and-bar.html