[the appearance of justice = what courts produce for non-whites] Right to Counsel is Racist Suspect Kochs Brothers New Cause

NYTimes

The Koch brothers have been pouring tens of millions of dollars into efforts to elect Republicans next month. Now they are directing money to a more obscure cause.

Koch Industries, in partnership with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, is financing a program to provide scholarships and training for public defenders. The grant will also pay for a review of indigent defense programs to see what works in providing legal representation to those who can’t afford it.

Charles G. Koch, the chairman of Koch Industries, said in a statement that the grant was a way “to make the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of an individual’s right to counsel a reality for all Americans, especially those who are the most disadvantaged in our society.”

The company’s interest grew out of its own experience during a criminal case in Texas and underscores a growing area of common ground between conservatives and progressives on criminal justice issues like sentencing reform.

Officials with Koch Industries and the lawyers association would not disclose how much was being spent, but said it was in the six figures.

Norman L. Reimer, executive director of the lawyers group, acknowledged that the Koch name could alienate left-leaning groups, but said the right to counsel was an issue without a partisan bent.

“I cannot afford the luxury of subjecting those who want to provide support to us to a litmus test on other issues,” Mr. Reimer said.