Apathetic, but true. In the case of teachers versus bankers, it's more about the institutions than the individuals, and the protections that come with working for those institutions.

OTOH, the teachers who got a jail sentence are the ones who didn't take a deal, even after being found guilty. Not really about money more than principles.

I was thinking that when watching a doco about western tourists to Thailand who get caught with small amounts of a drug on them. They get shaken down by the local police for a few thousand dollars, up to whatever they can afford. Those who can't pay get put in jail for a while. Not sure if it was bribery or what, but it seemed accepted by everyone involved.

That's not really an apples-to-apples comparison. Places with lots of tourists usually go pretty easy on them whenever it's possible. You don't want to scare your meal ticket into going somewhere else.