Assignment:
Bobby K. Lawyer's first inclination when accepting a new client is to begin the process of plea bargaining. He is not interested in "dragging out" a case in court that will go on for months and might get ugly. Plea bargaining, in his opinion, is a much simpler way to work the system and satisfy both parties. But Bobby is not looked on very highly by his peers. To many of his peers, plea bargains cheat the system, side-step justice, and do not take due process into consideration.
Task:
- Clarify the ethical dilemma associated with plea bargaining.
- Analyze the dilemma using a deontological framework and a teleological framework. In your opinion, by which framework might the dilemma be resolved best?
- Judges, like police officers and attorneys, are held to a higher ethical standard than the average person; they are expected to be impartial and non-biased in their work. Do you believe a judge can be completely unbiased with every case? Explain your answer. What ethical issues arise when a judge is biased?