Plea Bargaining In The Criminal Justice System
Plea Bargaining
Plea bargaining is extremely popular in our criminal justice system. In fact, 90 percent of all criminal cases are negotiated through plea bargains. The defendant, the victim, law enforcement officials, the prosecutor, and the state, all benefit in various and significant ways from plea bargains. In this paper I will discuss how plea bargaining ensures that the criminal justice system is not overrun by criminal cases. I will also explain what plea bargaining means and where it originated from. As a police officer, I think plea bargaining is a great tool for it to be used in the criminal justice system.
Many people hear the words “plea bargain” and never really understand what it means. According to the Dictionary …show more content…
For example, plea bargaining with a drug dealer in order to get to the drug lords is acceptable in my opinion. I would like to see plea bargains reviewed on a random basis to ensure that all parties involved are not acting in a corrupt manner. I believe that if the cases were reviewed by a “plea bargain committee” then the attorneys and the judges would take them more seriously, and not use them as a means of getting out of doing lengthy work.
In my opinion, plea bargaining can be a very proactive part of the criminal justice system. In order to achieve this, prosecutors need to be fair when applying charges to the defendants. The defendant by pleading guilty to a lesser charge is not being deprived of his rights; instead he is opting out of his rights by accepting the lesser charge.
No matter the severity of the case, plea bargaining is relied on heavily in the United States. Many people see this as controversial and disrespectful to the victims and their families; just as many people see this as a necessary tool for justice to be served. With our criminal justice system relying so heavily on plea bargaining, we have to ask ourselves a few questions: is the verdict of these cases better for the victim or the criminal; does this institution we call plea bargaining give the ability for justice to be served or does the crime get diluted and become justice …show more content…
I am also a firm believer in convicting on a lesser charge if the evidence does not support the more serious crime that has been committed. While some people are for plea bargaining, there are several people who are against bargaining with justice. Plea bargains can make the court system flow a lot faster and easier.
Weighing the pros and cons of the plea bargaining option overall, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives. It is easy to understand why victims would desire that the maximum sentence possible be imposed; however, considering that bringing every criminal case to court would be impossible for the courts to handle, and that the plea bargaining tool does provide justice, it is logical to agree that this alternative to a trial would be a speedy, and a lot less costly.
I believe I have provided sufficient evidence on why plea bargaining is a great tool for our criminal justice system, and using it will ensure that our criminal justice system will not be overrun be criminal
Plea bargaining is extremely popular in our criminal justice system. In fact, 90 percent of all criminal cases are negotiated through plea bargains. The defendant, the victim, law enforcement officials, the prosecutor, and the state, all benefit in various and significant ways from plea bargains. In this paper I will discuss how plea bargaining ensures that the criminal justice system is not overrun by criminal cases. I will also explain what plea bargaining means and where it originated from. As a police officer, I think plea bargaining is a great tool for it to be used in the criminal justice system.
Many people hear the words “plea bargain” and never really understand what it means. According to the Dictionary …show more content…
For example, plea bargaining with a drug dealer in order to get to the drug lords is acceptable in my opinion. I would like to see plea bargains reviewed on a random basis to ensure that all parties involved are not acting in a corrupt manner. I believe that if the cases were reviewed by a “plea bargain committee” then the attorneys and the judges would take them more seriously, and not use them as a means of getting out of doing lengthy work.
In my opinion, plea bargaining can be a very proactive part of the criminal justice system. In order to achieve this, prosecutors need to be fair when applying charges to the defendants. The defendant by pleading guilty to a lesser charge is not being deprived of his rights; instead he is opting out of his rights by accepting the lesser charge.
No matter the severity of the case, plea bargaining is relied on heavily in the United States. Many people see this as controversial and disrespectful to the victims and their families; just as many people see this as a necessary tool for justice to be served. With our criminal justice system relying so heavily on plea bargaining, we have to ask ourselves a few questions: is the verdict of these cases better for the victim or the criminal; does this institution we call plea bargaining give the ability for justice to be served or does the crime get diluted and become justice …show more content…
I am also a firm believer in convicting on a lesser charge if the evidence does not support the more serious crime that has been committed. While some people are for plea bargaining, there are several people who are against bargaining with justice. Plea bargains can make the court system flow a lot faster and easier.
Weighing the pros and cons of the plea bargaining option overall, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives. It is easy to understand why victims would desire that the maximum sentence possible be imposed; however, considering that bringing every criminal case to court would be impossible for the courts to handle, and that the plea bargaining tool does provide justice, it is logical to agree that this alternative to a trial would be a speedy, and a lot less costly.
I believe I have provided sufficient evidence on why plea bargaining is a great tool for our criminal justice system, and using it will ensure that our criminal justice system will not be overrun be criminal