At nine o'clock on a recent Friday, some 80 people—mostly black-waited on pew-like benches for the start of their eviction cases at housing court. The few lawyers in attendance—all white-were present to bring the day's cases on behalf of landlords, often several dozen at a time. The 25 people who did not show up for court received default eviction orders in the span of a few minutes. Those present could choose to mount legal defences. Most did not.
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