Why does the Prosecutors Office plea bargain with criminals?
Plea agreements are necessary and are often no “bargain”. There is a high volume of criminal cases. If each case went to trial, the criminal justice system would come to a grinding halt. Victims would have to wait years for a decision, the memories of witnesses would fade, evidence would deteriorate and defendants would disappear. Fortunately, many defendants decide to plead guilty rather than proceed to trial. Defendants plead guilty not because they are offered lenient sentences but because they are offered fair sentences. Plea agreements appropriately redress the wrongs committed by the defendant. In some instances, a defendant is offered a less stringent sentence in return for cooperation with the police, or because witnesses cannot be located or because the evidence is weak.
A. Plea agreements are made if and when they would benefit the overall goals of protecting the public and imposing justice through due process. If every defendant charged with a crime were to go to trial, our criminal justice system would literally come to a standstill. Victims would have to wait years for a decision, witnesses would lose interest, memories would fade, evidence would deteriorate, defendants would disappear, etc. In certain instances, a defendant will be offered a sentencing decision that considers his or her cooperation with the prosecution, especially where the defendant’s cooperation allows the prosecution of other criminals who would otherwise go free. The majority of defendants decide to plead guilty rather than contest their guilt by trial, and receive sentences which appropriately redress the wrongs they have committed.
