Perspectives By Justice Michael Donnelly and Judge Pierre Bergeron | January 24, 2021, 8:02 PM EST On the heels of nationwide calls to address systemic racism and inequality, sitting judges shed light on the disparities that exist in the justice system and how to guard against bias in Justice Michael Donnelly Judge Pierre Bergeron Our modern life is driven by data. What company would try to increase profitability without fully considering its volume of sales and margins? Or what scientist evaluating a COVID-19 vaccine would sign off on its effectiveness without poring over the results of the clinical trials? But for those of us who serve or practice in state courts, we know the unfortunate reality that the court systems lag far behind in data collection. Although many might find this hard to believe in a society awash with data, state court systems often lack basic data on important criminal justice metrics.