Think of Gotham: City filled with the most crime, the most criminals. There's the Mob, there's supervillains and their gangs, monsters and assassins. Wouldn't these men have enough money to buy off at least half of the legal system? They could basically have enough lawyers, judges, doctors and police to buy themselves a room in an insane asylum instead of the actual judgement they deserve. And that's just the corrupt people on criminal payroll. There's others receiving constant threats to themselves and their family if they don't play ball.
And it isn't just in comics. In America if you get caught stealing a car or get busted with some drugs (non violent, often victimless) you go to Dangerous Prison, where drug wars will force you to become an animal with the killers, junkies, rapists, freaks and race gangs.
Meanwhile, a white collar criminal who defrauds thousands of people, steals millions of dollars, lies on their taxes, abandons their family, and supports third world slavery for their own profit? They get Special Prison, where they get basically a four star hotel room including television, access to the internet, visiting privileges, and get delivered gourmet food.
It's because things like Law and Justice and Reason are steadfast, unbreakable things in the sense that they're just concepts. People, however, are weak and greedy, stupid, lazy, easily fooled and frightened.
And the biggest criminals of them all just sit back and laugh at us.
