The shortest part of your post is about bribes, but a side topic on that is that those expensive lawyers also know judges outside the courtroom and can apply pressure to get minor judgements to go their way. Did the “affluenza” judge really believe that judgement, or did he feel pressure from that social circle? Did Brock Turner’s judge give him a very light sentence because he felt that was appropriate for sexual assault, or did he know the family? In the last case, it might just be an old man who doesn’t think sexual assault is a bad crime.