That's pretty lame, "The rich can buy a verdict." Even if that were true, that would be a bug not a feature.
"world of equal opportunity were individual work and merit make all the difference"
straw man
Since the rich also have undue influence on the design of the laws and the general running of society, that's a feature (for them), not a bug.
Besides, even if it was "a bug, not a feature" of the legal system, unless it could magically or otherwise go away, it would still be had to be taken into account.
>*straw man
You can find pretty much the same statement expressed in all kinds of books, articles, political speeches, and interviews. At best with very small caveats.
A strawman, on the other hand, is supposed to be something that nobody ever says.
To quote Anacharsis from 25 centuries before: "[your laws] are no different from spiders' webs. They'll restrain anyone weak and insignificant who gets caught in them, but they'll be torn to shreds by people with power and wealth."
Or to quote Anatole France from last century: "In its majestic equality, the law forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, beg in the streets and steal loaves of bread."
Same goes for economic accomplishments of one's family and the opportunities their offspring get in life: http://thewireless.co.nz/articles/the-pencilsword-on-a-plate
You might not want people to be exactly equal economically, but you don't want huge discrepancies either for those reasons.
But of course the right, and especially in the US, has a naive child-like view of a world of equal opportunity were individual work and merit make all the difference. One might as well believe in magic fairies...