...Plea Bargaining Paper Daniel Herrera CJA/224 Introduction to Criminal Courts Dr. Beverly Spencer 9/1/2014 Plea Bargaining Paper Plea bargaining is one of the most important pieces of criminal court proceedings that can occur. Plea bargaining is that chance in which a defendant can choose to not be punished or charged as harshly as they should be. Plea bargaining is a very common thing used within the courthouse and even though it can be good for an individual it can also be bad if not completely understood. The thing with a plea bargain is that at any time a judge can overthrow a bargain and still send the case through strenuous court hours. Plea bargaining is however very important because over ninety percent of all criminal cases are built and completed due to plea bargaining. Plea bargaining can be defined as an agreement between a prosecutor and a defendant whereby the defendant is allowed to plead guilty to a lesser charge rather than risk conviction for a graver crime in order to avoid a protracted trial or to win the defendant’s cooperation as a witness (“Plea Bargaining”, 2014). Now a plea bargain can mean everything to nothing towards a case. The prosecution would use these types of bargains for leverage against the defendant. What is meant by this is that the defendant can be offered to give a testimony of the events which can eventually lead into a charge and conviction into a higher profiled case. This is the case most of the time; usually the prosecution...
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...in which advice of counsel is necessary to ensure the dependence’s rights to a fair trial. This also always the ability for a plea bargaining to be issued if the prosecutor feels that their is overwhelming evidence and a court case should not be needed. Right to Counsel Background Powell v. Alabama (1932), also known as the Scottsboro case, involved several African American boys ranging from the ages of 13-17, whom were accused of raping two white women. The defendants were convicted and sentenced to death in a quick trial without an attorney. This took...
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...interview a judge on his role in major criminal cases from his role beginning with first contact dealing with a plea bargain. The reason I choose to focus on that of plea bargains is because based on the videos I viewed this is the first initial contact the defendant has with the judge and most of the most memorable parts of many criminal court cases. Q: Good afternoon, one thing that stands out to me is why do we have so many plea bargains with in this country? A: Good question, for one our constitution states that everyone should offered that of a speedy trial. With that plea bargains can be looked at as such. Also if we were to send every case in front of jury many cases would never be heard and or pushed so far back that defendants will not receive the proper attention and or defense based on that fact if they had a public defender or private attorney. Q: when it comes to a plea bargain what is role? A: As a judge we oversee and supervise to make sure boundaries are set and it falls it the expectations of the community we are servicing. Also with this with have the right to accept or deny any plea bargain that is brought to us. But once a plea is made either guilty or no contest, it is our responsibility to make sure that the defendant is this decision on his own free will and in sole right mind. Once approved it will no longer go to trial. Q: When entering a plea hearing how much do you really know about case before it is presented to you and knowing more about the case...
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...interview a judge on his role in major criminal cases from his role beginning with first contact dealing with a plea bargain. The reason I choose to focus on that of plea bargains is because based on the videos I viewed this is the first initial contact the defendant has with the judge and most of the most memorable parts of many criminal court cases. Q: Good afternoon, one thing that stands out to me is why do we have so many plea bargains with in this country? A: Good question, for one our constitution states that everyone should offered that of a speedy trial. With that plea bargains can be looked at as such. Also if we were to send every case in front of jury many cases would never be heard and or pushed so far back that defendants will not receive the proper attention and or defense based on that fact if they had a public defender or private attorney. Q: when it comes to a plea bargain what is role? A: As a judge we oversee and supervise to make sure boundaries are set and it falls it the expectations of the community we are servicing. Also with this with have the right to accept or deny any plea bargain that is brought to us. But once a plea is made either guilty or no contest, it is our responsibility to make sure that the defendant is this decision on his own free will and in sole right mind. Once approved it will no longer go to trial. Q: When entering a plea hearing how much do you really know about case before it is presented to you and knowing more about the case...
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...Plea Bargaining Paper The criminal justice system seeks to protect the public and uphold laws, part of this process includes plea bargaining, plea bargaining is a process in which the defendant agrees to plead guilty in most cases in order to obtain a lesser charge to the crime as well as some leniency from the prosecutor(Schmalleger, Siegel, & Worrall, 2011). There are two types of plea bargains, they are called sentence bargaining and charge bargaining ("Nolo Law For All", 2014). Sentence bargaining is another process in which the courts practice, the major differences between sentence bargaining and charge bargaining are, sentence bargaining is when the defendant agrees to plead guilty to a lesser sentence, in charge bargaining the prosecutor negotiates with the defendant to determine which charges are being filed against the defendant or the defendant pleads guilty to a less serious crime than the original charge(Schmalleger, Siegel, & Worrall, 2011). There are some advantages and disadvantages of plea bargaining, such as lesser charges, but in some cases the plea bargain gives the rights up of the defendant to make the prosecution prove charges against the defendant ("Nolo Law For All", 2014). Plea bargaining has a long history behind it, it has its problems and shortcomings, however it is still a highly recognized process in the courts today. Plea bargain is defined as a mutual understanding between the prosecutor and the defendant, this usually places the defendant...
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...Plea Bargaining Christopher Tucker CJS/251 May 12, 2016 Jason Stone Plea Bargaining When first forging America the concept of trial by jury was accepted as indication of new liberties. In the 19th century although people favored the trial by jury system they was found that this process was losing ground fast. In the early century it was perceived that, the guilty plea was substituting trial by jury more often although guilty plea was being made known it was found that more than three times as many criminal convictions had resulted from guilty pleas. Courts have used plea bargains in order to help keep the congested judicial system working as smoothly as possible. Plea bargains are known to assist the court, they also oppose our rights by violating a state statue. A plea bargain is an agreement to plead guilty to a lesser charge with less-stringent sentences. Types of Plea Bargaining The courts of justice use plea bargaining as a vital part of the court process. .According to Siegel, Schmalleger, and Worrall (2011), change bargaining is when the defendant and the prosecuting attorney negotiates the charges that would be filed (p. 318). This would include the defendant pleading guilty on multi-count charges that are considered lesser charge in return for a lighter sentence. Count bargaining is considered by many to fall under charge bargaining. The defendant claims responsibility to only one or more of the initial charges, and the prosecutor makes other charges disappear...
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...Plea Bargaining Melinda Romayor CJA/224 January 3, 2014 David Manweiler Plea Bargaining Plea bargaining is important in the criminal justice system. It is an essential tool that benefits not only the prosecutor but the defense attorney and the defendant. Plea bargaining allows attorneys to decide cases without needing the judge or a jury to decide the case. It can be beneficial to both the prosecutor and the defense attorney because the prosecutor will have a conviction and the defense attorney would have gained a lesser charge for his client. Throughout this paper I will lead you through the process of plea bargaining, the pros and cons, and how it reflects on crime control and the due process model. History of Plea Bargaining Plea bargaining can be dated back to the nineteenth century. One of the earliest cases reported Commonwealth v. Battis. In this case the defendant who was charged in a capital crime was given time to think about the guilty plea he had entered. The court was reluctant in accepting the plea and was satisfied only after insuring that there had been no tampering, promises, or any persuasions to the defendant. Following the Commonwealth v. Battis case there were other cases that began to be reported that had some level of plea bargaining. It seemed that plea bargaining became more common in the mid 1900’s. The reasoning behind it becoming more common was back in the early days of the English justice system, juries would hear up to 20 cases in a...
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...Plea Bargaining For Company Management By Name Presented to ------------------------ Date Plea Bargaining A plea bargain is a negotiation between the defense attorney and the prosecutor that is presented to the defendant. Plea bargaining is vital in keeping the courts from being overwhelmed with trials. There are two different types of plea bargaining: charge bargaining and sentence bargaining. There are advantages and disadvantages to both the defendant and the prosecution in plea bargaining. Crime control advocates and due process advocates do not see plea bargaining in the same fashion. A guilty verdict doesn’t always result from a trial. It mostly results from a voluntary plea by the defendant. A plea bargain is when a prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty to the original charge or a lesser charge for a lesser than the maximum sentence. For a plea bargain to be negotiated; the prosecutor needs to offer the defendant a reeducation of severity of the charges, reduction of the number of charges or a reduction in sentence. Unless one or more of these items are met, there will not be a plea bargain. A plea bargain is between the prosecutor and the defense attorney. Once the prosecutor presents the offer to the defense; it has to be taken to the defendant for approval. Once the pros and cons are discussed and the defendant agrees and accepts the plea, it is presented to the judge. Plea bargains...
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...Plea Bargaining Glenn Friedlander CJA/224-Introduction to Criminal Court Systems October 22, 1013 Deborah Carr Plea Bargaining Plea Bargaining is a process in which the prosecutor and the defendant via the defense attorney comes to an agreement during a multi-charge case for the defendant to bargain with the prosecutor after being informed by his or her defense attorney of the consequences of one or more charges for a lesser sentence rather than going to trial and possibly receive the max sentence he or she are facing (Siegel, Schmalleger, & Worral, 2011). This is normally used when a defendant and his or her defense attorney knows there is no way for the defendant to get off based on the charges he or she is being charged with and the evidence against them. More often than none, the defendant’s attorney is highly aware of the possibility of losing the case based on the results of the investigation that was conducted after the crime was committed. This process is also designed to save tax payers money by avoiding a lengthy trial that was probable based on the crime committed. Charge Bargaining This is a process in which the prosecutor can negotiate with the defendant to make it seem like the prosecutor is on the defendant’s side. This is done by telling him or her they will avoid adding additional charges if the defendant chooses to plea bargain with the prosecutor at that particular time or whichever time the prosecutor provides for the defendant to discuss the...
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...Plea-bargaining, used in ninety percent of criminal convictions in the United States criminal justice system today is the exchange of prosecutorial and legal concessions for pleas of guilty. Generally, a defendant in a criminal trial will enter “one of three pleas: guilty, not guilty, or nolo contendere.” Nolo contendere, otherwise known as no contest has the same effect as a guilty plea, which means the defendant is convicted and accepts punishment but does not admit guilt (lawyers.com). But in the plea-bargaining process, which aims to avoid trial because of costs and time, a defendant and his or her defense attorney may negotiate with the prosecutor for one of four different bargains. In the first type of deal, the prosecutor may reduce...
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...Accountability has become Hostage of Plea Bargain. Does Plea Bargaining Undermine the Criminal Justice System? Legal and Social Impacts on Society. Student’s Name Institution Contents 1.1 Background to the Study...............................................................................................4 1.2 Purpose of the Study.....................................................................................................5 1.3 Research Objectives......................................................................................................5 1.4 Research Questions.......................................................................................................6 1.5 Significance of the Study..............................................................................................6 2.0 Methodology/ Research Design.....................................................................................6 2.1 Sampling Design............................................................................................................7 2.2 Sample Size....................................................................................................................7 2.3 Data Collection and Analysis.........................................................................................7 2.4 Validity and Reliability..................................................................................................8 2.5 Skills Required......................
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...Accountability has become Hostage of Plea Bargain. Does Plea Bargaining Undermine the Criminal Justice System? Legal and Social Impacts on Society. Student’s Name Institution Contents 1.1 Background to the Study...............................................................................................4 1.2 Purpose of the Study.....................................................................................................5 1.3 Research Objectives......................................................................................................5 1.4 Research Questions.......................................................................................................6 1.5 Significance of the Study..............................................................................................6 2.0 Methodology/ Research Design.....................................................................................6 2.1 Sampling Design............................................................................................................7 2.2 Sample Size....................................................................................................................7 2.3 Data Collection and Analysis.........................................................................................7 2.4 Validity and Reliability..................................................................................................8 2.5 Skills Required......................
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...required to wear body cameras or not, so that every action they take while on duty can be recorded. Especially in light of current events many feel that police should be required to wear body cameras to prevent injustices. Like any problem there are pros and cons. And I believe that cons need to be addressed before moving on to the pros. Some of the cons against body cameras are that there is a huge cost for buy each camera as well as budget issues for each department. Another example is that with the limited vision it may not be precise enough to get entire circumstance in which case would lead to...
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...income. Victims of crime needing assistance may believe they are overlooked or even revictimized by the criminal justice system, a system that may appear to be more concerned with the criminal’s rights than with the needs and rights of the victim. This paper will address the role the prosecutor, defense attorney, criminal, and victim play within the criminal justice system and how victimization affects each. The Prosecutor The prosecutor plays a critical role in the criminal justice system and serves many functions throughout the criminal justice process. Some of these functions are as follows: * Investigating * Helping the police build a case against the person(s) * Bringing charges against a person(s) * Arranging plea bargains * Questioning witnesses * Presenting his or her evidence to a court to ensure a conviction The prosecutor should have an elaborate working knowledge of the law and whose duty is to seek justice for the innocent, convict the guilty, and ensure the rights of the accused as well as the rights of the public. The prosecutor must also have a vast amount of desecration...
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...Crime is a serious problem worldwide that affects many societies. Because of this issue, we have had to come up with a complex set of laws procedures for dealing with those accused of breaking the law. I will attempt to explain the criminal justice process and the different avenues the process can take. When crimes do occur in the United States this is only the start of the criminal process. First a crime must committed or believed to be committed. Usually some one will call 911, 311, or flag down an officer or perhaps the officer will witness the crime him or herself. Some time criminals are caught in the act or apprehended some later. The choice to commit crime is up to each of us and is really the start of the entire process. Every thing that comes after is just a response to this act. The next step after apprehending a suspect is to read this person their Miranda rights. This is very important as a suspect could be set, free later on at trial if this does not happen. Law Enforcment officers at any level must verbally inform an individual of their rights. These are the right to remain silent, warning that any answers can be used in a court of law, and the right to an attorney. This is a good thing because the person under arrest may not understand the right afforded to them and unfairly incriminate them self. These right are mainly the consequence of the U.S supreme court ruling in the case of Miranda vs Arizona. (Miranda v. Arizona (1966),This law was not universally accepted...
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