Plea Bargain Advantages

A plea bargain is when the defendant in a criminal trial agrees to plead guilty in the exchange of a lesser sentence or to have other charges dropped. In theory, a plea bargain is a way to speed up the courtroom process. When applied correctly plea bargains are excellent tools within the criminal justice system. Incorrectly used judgment is cast down from those outside of the criminal justice system. Thus, it is imperative that all actors in the criminal justice and court systems use plea bargain correctly every time.
Plea Bargains have changed the appearance of the criminal justice and court system over time. Having a fluid process for plea bargains has become vital in the criminal justice system. The use of a plea bargain will impact …show more content…
When a defendant agrees to plead guilty the time spent on what would have been their trial can now be devoted to another defendant. When a defendant takes advantage of a plea deal, they are often granted leniency on their punishment compared to what they might have received if the case went to trial. An advantage for the prosecutor is not gambling the case in court and risk the case being dismissed, or the defendant found not guilty. Another benefit that plea bargains offer is saving the victim from testifying in court. Psychologically, testifying in court could be very traumatizing to the …show more content…
People who have power in a situation can do what is right, or they can abuse their power. Another area of weakness that must be recognized is involuntary or coerced confessions. According to Garrett (2016) “A confession in an interrogation room, in contrast, involves extrajudicial admissions of guilt, which could be coerced or false, and, if found involuntary or to have been given in violation of constitutional requirements, may be suppressed from trial” (p. 4). Additionally, when a defendant agrees to plead guilty, they are waiving their rights to a trial and their rights for the evidence to be