Drawbacks could include: Prosecutors sometimes strongly criticized by the public for initiating plea bargain deals. Defendants pressured into waiving their constitutional right to trial. Defendants risk going to prison for crimes they did not commit, or receiving lighter punishment than their crimes demand.
Cons of plea bargaining? 1) Can pressure the innocent to plead guilty to avoid a more serious charges. 2) Prosecutor's have overwhelming bargaining advantage. 3) It takes place in private allowing police to cover up mistakes and shields prosecutors from public scrutiny.
Plea bargains allow prosecutors to avoid trials, which are shunned because they are time-consuming, labour-intensive, and costly but carry no guarantee of success. Through the rational use of plea bargaining, prosecutors can ensure some penalty for offenders who might be acquitted on technicalities.
Society at large also benefits from plea bargaining since plea bargains lessen court congestion and free up prosecutors to handle more cases. If every criminal case went to trial, the criminal justice system would move much more slowly, and it would have a serious effect on people's right to a speedy trial.May 17, 2021
As a pro, plea bargaining allows you to avoid the worst outcome. You can work with law enforcement to provide details or admission of guilt. In exchange, you will face less time in jail, or even no time at all depending on the deal. On the downside, this conviction will stay on your criminal record.Jan 21, 2021
A successfully negotiated plea bargain will:Clear up the uncertainty in your case. ... Avoid publicity. ... Possibly result in fewer (or less serious) offenses on your record. ... Lessen the judge and prosecutor's case load. ... Result in a less socially offensive charge on your record. ... Possibly get you out of jail.More items...•Sep 12, 2017
Some commentators oppose plea bargains, as they feel that plea bargains allow defendants to shirk responsibility for the crimes they have committed. Others argue that plea bargains are too coercive and undermine important constitutional rights.
Plea bargaining is prevalent for practical reasons. Defendants can avoid the time and cost of defending themselves at trial, the risk of harsher punishment, and the publicity a trial could involve. The prosecution saves the time and expense of a lengthy trial. Both sides are spared the uncertainty of going to trial.Nov 28, 2021
What is the standard argument in favor of plea bargains? Pleading guilty instead of going to trial reduces uncertainty as to the outcome of a trial; in trying a case before a judge or before a jury of 12 people, the defendant cannot predict what ultimately will happen.
Plea bargaining introduces a systemic incentive for innocent defendants to plead guilty. It undermines, to the point of negating, the role of the jury. It strays from the rule of law toward the authority of discretion. It silences those subject to the criminal justice system.
The three major factors influencing bargaining and discretion are the presumption of factual guilt, the costs and risks of trial to all parties, and the question of what sentence to impose upon the guilty.
Plea Bargaining: Areas of Negotiation – Discusses the three main areas of negotiations involving plea bargains:charge bargaining,sentence bargaining, and fact bargaining.