What we call "justice" in the US is really just ritual sacrifice to purge the community of the bad juju created when a crime happens. The more aspirational the victim, the worse the juju.

Traditionally, the person sacrificed should have plausibly committed the crime. But this is not strictly necessary, especially if they are not considered aspirational.

The worst thing that can happen is to have the sacrifice thwarted. This multiplies the juju. But it sometimes happens due to technicalities, like innocence.