I don't know why I'm bothering but: I think you need to consider the system as a whole including its history, before you nitpick on its most recent development. Historically I'm sure you'll agree that race and wealth have played huge roles in determining who gets punished for petty crime in America and who doesn't, and this new law seems to be a bandaid being stretched across the gaping faultlines in the system. With the intention of levelling the playing field or punishing field if you will. It's a shoddy solution yes but it makes no sense to comment on it without questioning why it was put in place.
