Should criminals be allowed to plea bargain?

Question

Do you think criminals should be given the option to ease their sentence in exchange or additional information on the case or something else? Or do you think that because they are criminals they have no rights and should be punished to the full extent of the law--no exceptions.

Additional Details

To the point of many of the responses, let me put it another way. Do you think it's morally right just to do this to speed up the process and ease the system? How would you feel if you were the family of a murder victim and a criminal was only getting 10 years as opposed to 'life' due to plea bargaining?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

If the DA is willing to plea-bargain then it is perfectly okay. Plea-bargaining saves time and money. The purpose of a plea bargain is to avoid an expensive court battle that may result in a criminal walking away scott free.

Answer 2

This is one of those cases where you have to face the facts: not allowing plea bargaining means putting every single criminal through the entire trial system. This means tax payers paying millions of dollars for cases that could otherwise be settled quickly and cheaply. If you do NOT allow plea bargains, you will be punishing every single NON-criminal in America with higher taxes that we simply cannot afford. Taking away plea bargaining ensures that every single criminal that goes to prison" at the full extent of the law" will take away prosecution and justice's ability to put these people away. Many criminals would even get off without the plea bargains, because every time you have a court trial, there is the risk that the jury will find them not-guilty. It is just not logistically or financially practical to take away plea bargains. Remember this: these bargains are used by prosecution as much as by the criminals to put these guys away.

Answer 3

Plea bargaining is a bunch of CRAP!!! If they're willing to plea bargain, obviously means they're guilty, give them the chair, or let them walk, either way, quit wasting our resources on prison programs!!!

Answer 4

I agree with Taco 100%. In the county I grew up in, over 85% of all cases that were prosecuted did not go to trial.

On the other hand, I think a lot of folks would be inclined to say what they were being asked to say over the truth if their freedom was at stake.

Source(s):

40 primetime law inforcement shows can't be wrong.

Answer 5

Their is no "right" to plea bargain. Prosecutors often offer a plea bargain for the simple reason that they have to. in my county we have 8 judges handling many thousands of cases, criminal and civil. Taking a plea requires about 10 minutes of the court's time. Conducting the most simple trial requires about 20 times that, for both the court and the prosecutor. As the taxpayers are not willing to pay for 160 judges in my county instead of 8, and or 20 times the number of prosecutors, they bargain the vast majority of cases.

Answer 6

You do the Crime You do the Time.................
I don't care how young or old the Criminal is.........................S.

Answer 7

Plea bargaining is a way to use "little fish" to get "big fish".

Answer 8

Only when it will help nab any accomplices. But should be used minimally.

Answer 9

if the US had the money and resources to charge every criminal then im sure they would. but since they don't plea bargaining is a way to speed up the process while saving money and resources..if plea bargaining was not in effect the whole justice system would come to a halt bc it would be so bombarded with cases.