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DQ 5_criminal justice

DQ 5_criminal justice

Q When discussing ethical dilemmas that are unique to the legal profession, the topic of plea bargaining oftentimes comes up. "In a plea bargain, the defendant agrees to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge than one for which the defendant could stand trial, in exchange for a more lenient sentence, or so that certain related charges are dismissed. (From FindLaw at http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-procedure/plea-bargains-overview.html ) Imagine you are a case consultant working for the district attorney's office where you are presented with the ethical dilemma surrounding the prosecution of a burglary case. The defendant is willing to plead guilty in return for a sentence of probation, and you believe that this is a fair punishment, particularly in light of the overcrowding of the local correctional facilities. Although a thorough investigation was conducted, you are informed the evidence that is available may not support a conviction. However, the victims are upset and want to see the offender receive prison time. You realize that these victims are taxpayers, so they pay your salary. What should you do? Support your decision by constructing a logical argument for the course of action you choose. Remember to cite your supportive resources.

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Plea bargains are a kind of legal procedure that allows a defendant to choose lesser, more lenient punishment for him in exchange of the defendant himself admitting the offense. It is a kind of deal between the defendant and the prosecutor in order to settle the matter. Due to the problem of prison over-crowding, the matter of plea bargains have become immensely popular among the criminal justice professionals (Bar-Gill, Gazal Ayal, 2006). As the prisons are becoming crowded due to the increase of criminal activities, the courts tend to solve the matter through these types of deals so that the prisons can focus more on the vicious criminals who are there due to acts such as murder, rape etc.