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Courts in Our Criminal Justice System: Plea Bargains

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The Courts in Our Criminal Justice System: Plea Bargains

Class: CJS220

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College: University of Phoenix, Axia College

The purpose of plea bargains are for defendant's to plea guilty to a lesser charge/offense or to a least one charge especially if there are multi-indictments. Pleading guilty for a lighter sentence that what a defendant could get with out the plea bargain. Defendant's will plea guilty in hopes of leniency, and at least 90 percent of criminal cases end in a plea bargains.

The main three plea bargains involves in a reduction, but the reductions are not done the same way. The first type of plea bargain. is called charge bargaining. This is where the defendant pleads guilty for an exchange in reduction to the severity of the crime and charges. The second type of plea bargains is called sentence bargaining this is where a defendant pleads guilty and are promised a lighter or alternative sanctions. This type of plea bargaining is most common in murder trials where the defendant will plea guilty to avoid the death penalty. The third type of plea bargains is called count bargaining, this is where a defendant can have the number of charges reduced when he or she is being charged with separate counts. Charge bargaining positive would be in order to get a confession out of the offender you would offer a reduction of the crime and charges. A positive would also be if the prosecution wanted to find a body of the victim. The negative is having to offer to reduce charges to a murder or a serial killer, in order to find a victim. Sentence bargaining positive could be used when there is a group of offenders and the prosecution offers the one that come forward and plea bargains guilty and receives a lighter sentence by turning in others. The negative could be where the offender lies and turns in someone just to say his or her's own neck.

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