"You shall not pervert the judgment of your needy in his dispute" (Exodus 23:6). Why is this said? Because it also says, "and you shall not favor a poor man in his dispute" (Exodus 23:3). From that I would know only about the poor man (dal); from where do I learn about one who is destitute and craving (ani ta'ev)? Scripture teaches, "You shall not pervert the judgment of your needy (evyon) in his dispute." Abba Chanan says in the name of Rabbi Eliezer: Scripture speaks here of gleanings, the forgotten sheaf, and the corner of the field. A wicked man and a fit man stand before you in judgment; do not say, "Since he is wicked, I will tilt the verdict against him." Therefore it is said, "You shall not pervert the judgment" of one who is needy (evyon) in commandments. Rabbi Abbahu said: There are ten differences between monetary cases and capital cases, and none of them apply to the ox condemned to stoning, except for the requirement of a court of twenty-three, for the verse says, "You shall not pervert the judgment of your needy in his dispute" [implying] but you may pervert the judgment of the ox condemned to stoning. And its opposite is the case of one who incites to idolatry, for the Merciful One said, "you shall not pity him, nor shall you conceal him" (Deuteronomy 13:9).
Do Not Pervert the Judgment of Your Needy in His Dispute
Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 352:10
(שמות כג ו) לֹא תַטֶּה מִשְׁפַּט אֶבְיֹנְךָ בְּרִיבוֹ, לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר, לְפִי שֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר וְדָל לֹא תֶהְדַּר בְּרִיבוֹ, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא דָּל, עָנִי תָּאֵב, מִנָּיִן, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר לֹא תַטֶּה מִשְׁפַּט אֶבְיֹנְךָ בְּרִיבוֹ. אַבָּא חָנָן אוֹמֵר מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, בְּלֶקֶט שִׁכְחָה וּפֵאָה הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר. רָשָׁע וְכָשֵׁר עוֹמְדִין לְפָנֶיךָ בַּדִּין, שֶׁלֹּא תֹּאמַר הוֹאִיל וְרָשָׁע הוּא הֲרֵי אֲנִי מַטֶּה עָלָיו אֶת הַדִּין, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר לֹא תַטֶּה וְגוֹ', אֶבְיוֹן הוּא בְּמִצְוֹת. אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ, עֲשָׂרָה דְבָרִים יֵשׁ בֵּין דִּינֵי מָמוֹנוֹת לְדִינֵי נְפָשׁוֹת, וְכֻלָּן אֵין נוֹהֲגִין בְּשׁוֹר הַנִּסְקָל, חוּץ מֵעֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה דַּאֲמַר קְרָא לֹא תַטֶּה מִשְׁפַּט אֶבְיֹנְךָ בְּרִיבוֹ אֲבָל אַתָּה מַטֶּה מִשְׁפַּט שׁוֹר הַנִּסְקָל. וְחִלּוּפֵיהּ בְּמֵסִית, דְּרַחֲמָנָא אֲמַר (דברים יג, ט) "וְלֹא תַחְמֹל וְלֹא תְכַסֶּה עָלָיו".