Critical Analysis of The Plea
Jeremy Reid
Houston Community College
Abstract
The paper is a critical analysis of the video “The Plea” by Frontline that was aired on 06/17/2004. The criminal justice system uses plea bargains that give a defendant the option to take a lesser charge or to challenge the charge with the risk of a high penalty if found guilty. Not all people how take a plea bargain are guilty. The video tries to show the failure of the criminal justice system. The author uses examples from trials in the past to support their point.
Keywords: Plea, guilty, innocent, charges
Critical Analysis of The Plea
The purpose of the video “The Plea” by Frontline is raise awareness about the reality of a plea bargain, how it’s used in the criminal justice system, and who or what socioeconomic group are affected. The Plea was produced, directed, and written by Ofra Bikel et al. The video is describes the experiences and events that …show more content…
When a plea bargain is used the prosecutor lowers the sentence or charges but requires the defendant to plead guilty. As seen in the video this can be a negative because once you are guilty, even if later found innocent you have to face the charges. The main people in society that are affected by the criminal justice system tend to be minorities or the impoverished. Plea bargains can be beneficial to those that actually committed the crime that they have been accused of because they have a smaller sentence. Based on the video the author point of view is against plea bargains and that they should not be used to convict innocent people. The author portrays this point of view by showing the stories of people that when through the criminal justice system. The audience that the video seems to be geared toward is the individuals working in the criminal justice system and the citizens that have either gone through it or will go through it in the
Jeremy Reid
Houston Community College
Abstract
The paper is a critical analysis of the video “The Plea” by Frontline that was aired on 06/17/2004. The criminal justice system uses plea bargains that give a defendant the option to take a lesser charge or to challenge the charge with the risk of a high penalty if found guilty. Not all people how take a plea bargain are guilty. The video tries to show the failure of the criminal justice system. The author uses examples from trials in the past to support their point.
Keywords: Plea, guilty, innocent, charges
Critical Analysis of The Plea
The purpose of the video “The Plea” by Frontline is raise awareness about the reality of a plea bargain, how it’s used in the criminal justice system, and who or what socioeconomic group are affected. The Plea was produced, directed, and written by Ofra Bikel et al. The video is describes the experiences and events that …show more content…
When a plea bargain is used the prosecutor lowers the sentence or charges but requires the defendant to plead guilty. As seen in the video this can be a negative because once you are guilty, even if later found innocent you have to face the charges. The main people in society that are affected by the criminal justice system tend to be minorities or the impoverished. Plea bargains can be beneficial to those that actually committed the crime that they have been accused of because they have a smaller sentence. Based on the video the author point of view is against plea bargains and that they should not be used to convict innocent people. The author portrays this point of view by showing the stories of people that when through the criminal justice system. The audience that the video seems to be geared toward is the individuals working in the criminal justice system and the citizens that have either gone through it or will go through it in the