Former Maryland Court of Appeals Judge Andrew Sonner believes that whites and blacks have been and continue to be held to different standards in court trials.
He provided examples of "overlooked injustices in the legal system."
"A white man who had raped a black woman has never been put to death for the crime," he said.
However, he stated that black males who committed the same crime against a white woman have been subject to capital punishment.
He served for 25 years as the state's attorney for Montgomery County, Md. Also notable is Sonner's eight years spent on the Maryland Court of Special Appeals.
Sonner, who spoke to Criminology students on Wednesday, has received awards from Harvard University and and Maryland's Daily Record. Following his speech, the Criminology Master's Program Director Laurie Robinson awarded him a plaque for exhibiting "Criminology in Practice."
He also discussed the need for more research in the prosecution of trials.
Citing the war on drugs, Sonner noted the war "does not make much sense." He stressed the need to research the subject, perhaps by looking into treatment as an alternative to punishment.
Criminology graduate student Ross Bruch regarded the ideas as "very agreeable," commenting that "he gave a lot of optimism for the future."
Robinson also agreed with many of Sonner's views.
"His main point about prosecutors being main players in the system is accurate ... they are less eager to embrace research than other players in the system," she said.
