Alford plea

and got through fewer hearings. While in this court I observed 2 plea hearings, 2 arraignment and detention hearings, and a hearing where a defendant wanted a new public defender. None of the hearings specifically stood out to me I just really liked the organization and the flow of this court. Everything was very cut and dry. The US Marshal in their shackles and orange jumpsuit would escort the defendants into the courtroom. In both plea hearings the defendants plead guilty and Judge Keesler…

Question 1 On the 22nd of August I attended the Gympie Magistrates Court from 9am to 12pm. At first glance, the courtroom gave off a welcoming feel with its bright and spacious atmosphere. The prosecution was represented by a police officer as do most lower court cases and the defence was represented by a variety of different representatives, including paid attorneys, legal aid workers and self-representation (Auburn, Hay and Wilkinson 2011; Sarre 2012, 441). A correctional parole officer was…

Dylan Lankford English II 12/12/16 “Arkansas” LOTF Essay There are many instances of children killing other kids, adults, and even their own family members. A tough question that countries and states have to decide is when these children should be accountable for their crimes. The age varies from country to country, some allowing kids to be responsible for criminal actions at the age of 7 while others are much higher such as 16, or 18. In the article “Arkansas Boys Who 5 are sentenced” by Rick…

In “the Plea”, there were characters that has their only story of dealing with a plea trial. The characters were in different places dealing with different pleas. A plea bargain is an arrangement between a prosecutor and a defendant whereby the defendant pleads guilty to a lesser charge in the expectation of leniency.. For example, there are four main characters who have one similarity which is they took the plea deal. Arma Stwert, Charlie, Patsy Kelly, and Kerry Max Cook. Character Arma…

Our The U.S. justice system was created so everyone could have equal rights and be judged fairly; then why is it sparking fear in us? An estimated 40,000-100,000 people are wrongfully convicted of crimes in the US currently (and are still being held in prison for “their crimes”), and 130 people are wrongfully convicted and on death row as of 2013. It is not right and there are reasons why it can not be trusted. Evolving forensic science has led countless people to walk free over the years as…

The coercive power found in plea bargains pushes various innocent defendants to plead guilty over risking harsher punishment at trial. Lucian Dervian and Vanessa Edkins in their study “ The Innocent Defendant’s Dilemma: An Innovative Empirical Study of Plea Bargaining’s Innocence Problem,” conduct a study to simulate the coercion and fear that occurs in a criminal trial. The study focuses on a college classroom study where the students were blamed for cheating on a test and were offered two…

The plea bargaining process is a negotiation between two parties to give information for a lessened sentence. A prosecutor will offer the defendant either a lessened sentence, dropped charge, or recommend a certain charge to the judge. In return, the defendant either pleads guilty or no contest. Plea bargaining is used often because people want to spend less time for their crime. With DNA and all the new ways to get evidence, there is a good chance of proving someone did the crime. A lot of…

Anthony, I agree with what you stated about plea-bargains allow defendants to get off with a lesser sentence. A plea bargain is not a confession, and it does not involve detailed admissions of guilt. According to Garrett suggests, some scholars have argued that plea bargains, in contrast to interrogations, produce particularly credible and valuable admissions of guilt. Indeed, the argument is sometimes made that plea bargaining is superior to trial because "the fact-finding task assigned to the…

diabetic episode admitted on Thursday to resulting criminal charges. Eric T. Troyer, 37, formerly of 625 Kenton Alley, Millersburg, pleaded guilty in Holmes County Common Pleas Court to assault and aggravated menacing. In exchange for his guilty plea, four additional charges of aggravated menacing were dismissed. Troyer's plea came on the heels of a psychological evaluation after which he was found to be competent to stand trial. He is scheduled to return to court on March 15 for sentencing, at…

Plea bargaining is an agreement made between the prosecution and the defense that allows the defendant to receive a lesser charge for their crimes if they plead guilty. The prosecution often offers the defendant a reduced sentence. Most of the time, “the defendant agrees to plead guilty in order to avoid a trial and a more severe sentence” (Rennison and Dodge 204). When the defendant agrees to a plea bargain they agree to give up some of their constitutional rights including, the right to a jury…