Project: Plea Bargain
The plea bargain process is an integral part of the American criminal justice system. More than 90% of criminal cases are settled by plea bargain.
Plea bargains impact the system in many lesser-known ways, both positively and negatively. In a 4- to 5-page report in a Microsoft Word document, cover the following points:
Explain the plea bargain process.
What are the reasons why a prosecutor would agree to a plea bargain? Why not just go to trial?
Why might the police officers that investigated the defendant be in favor of a plea bargain? Why might they be opposed?
Why might the victim be in favor of a plea bargain? Why might he be opposed?
Some might say that a plea bargain re-defines the defendant's criminal behavior. For instance, a defendant who was charged with attempted murder might agree to plead guilty to a reduced charge of aggravated assault. Aside from the lesser penalty, in what other ways might the defendant benefit from this re-definition of his behavior?
One of the arguments against plea bargaining is that when a defendant pleads guilty, the court does not have the opportunity to scrutinize the police investigation in the case.
Explain what is meant by this, and why it is important. (Hint: because a plea-bargained case will not proceed to trial, there will not be a discovery process).
Support your responses with examples.