Plea Bargaining Pros And Cons

There are many actors in the criminal justice system such as prosecutors, judges, and defense lawyers. They present their case to a jury who will eventually decide if the defendant is found guilty or innocence. During trial the prosecutor and defense lawyer both present their case. All of this can be a lengthy process which also takes up time and cost money. In many cases prosecutors will offer a defendant a plea deals. A plea deal or plea bargaining is a negotiated guilty plea in exchange for a shorten sentence. Prosecutors contain majority of the control in relation to plea bargaining and must hold their end of the deal and deliver what has been promised to the defendant. Even though plea bargaining may sound great at the moment it comes along with many benefits and disadvantages.

One of the major benefits for both parties is that the case is completed quickly and does not take up much time. The obvious benefit is for defendants who will receive less sentence compared to if the defendant would go to trial. Prosecutors get an easy conviction and public defenders get done with a case quickly which helps them with their giant caseloads. Some of the disadvantages aren't as clear. For example, when a defendant is offered a plea deal they have to plead guilty, some defendants will plead guilty even if they are innocent in order to avoid trial and the possibility of getting a greater sentence. Another thing to think about is why is the prosecution offering you a plea deal? Their case may not be a strong and they would have otherwise not gotten a conviction without the plea bargaining. It is important to remember if you accept a plea deal it will come out on your criminal