Plea Bargaining
Plea bargaining is a common practice in every criminal court in the United States. One of the strangest concepts is that the prosecutor enters into an agreement with the defense counsel for the accused. In exchange for a guilty plea, the defendant will receive a fixed punishment that both parties agree on. However, judges often hand down sentences that go against the plea bargain if they disagree with the severity of the sentence (or in their opinion, lack thereof). Typically, the parties inform the judge of the plea bargain prior to the judge imposing the sentence.
Primary Task Response: Within the Discussion Board area, write 400–600 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.
What are the major reasons for plea bargaining? Explain.
Do you believe that these are all valid reasons? Why or why not? Explain in detail.
Is plea bargaining a fair concept to all concerned? Why or why not? Explain.
How do you think plea bargaining conflicts with mandatory sentences? Explain.
What do you think are the most significant problems regarding plea bargaining? Explain.
400-600 words
Solution Preview
A plea bargain is an agreement that is made between the persecutor and the defendant, and the defendant accepts to plead guilty. In such a case, the defendant pleads guilty, having signed a concession with the prosecutor. The defendant can agree to do this to receive more lenient sentencing or to cut short a long case in the court (Miceli, 2019). There are different types of plea bargain; Count, sentence, and charge bargaining.
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