It annoys me that people keep saying in such cases "yeah, but you won't really get 50 years, even if they succeed".
Imagine yourself talking to those prosecutors and being threatened with 50 years, and then given that 3 months deal. What would you do? Would you think "yeah, I'm not really going to get 50 years" - or would you be scared as hell about spending the rest of your life in prison?
So yeah, I think such threats absolutely do matter, and the system should be changed so this doesn't happen anymore. I've also recently heard that something like 98 percent of people charged take the plea deal (I think it was from some documentary). That's INSANE. That's not how the justice system is supposed to work.
Everyone should be getting a fair trial, regardless. I mean, even if the guy is guilty - wouldn't you rather have him in a fair trial to make sure he gets what he deserves, rather than have the prosecutors offer him a much smaller prison time?
>It annoys me that people keep saying in such cases "yeah, but you won't really get 50 years, even if they succeed".
If convicted you can certainly get 50 years because the of minimum sentencing rules. This is where you get juries saying after the trial "I had no idea he would be sentenced to 50 years - I thought he would only get a couple of months".
As a defendant your lawyer can't tell the jury the sentence you face if convicted - apparently if the jury knows you face a minimum of 50 years for a minor crime they might not be so keen to convict you!
That's why jury members shouldn't be the average, possibly dim, possibly outright stupid, possibly just apathetic person, but actually be required to posses at least a modicum of intelligence, so as to be able to research minimum sentences etc.
Yes, but if we make it easy for anyone who can fog a mirror to get out of serving in combination with throwing anyone off who the prosecution thinks might be able fog a mirror, then we can expect that who ever is left will have few problems.
My feeling is serving on a jury it is a bit like voting. I know it is unlikely that I am doing any good, but it is my duty to do my best in both circumstances.
Prosecutors know they all won't stick, but some of them will. So maybe not 50. But with minimum sentences for the ones that do, 15 years.
How about if someone takes a plea, that there still has to be a trial with corroborating evidence besides the person taking that plea that shows their guilt. The defendant can assist the prosecution, but cannot testify against themselves since they would no longer be a credible witness.
Imagine yourself talking to those prosecutors and being threatened with 50 years, and then given that 3 months deal. What would you do? Would you think "yeah, I'm not really going to get 50 years" - or would you be scared as hell about spending the rest of your life in prison?
So yeah, I think such threats absolutely do matter, and the system should be changed so this doesn't happen anymore. I've also recently heard that something like 98 percent of people charged take the plea deal (I think it was from some documentary). That's INSANE. That's not how the justice system is supposed to work.
Everyone should be getting a fair trial, regardless. I mean, even if the guy is guilty - wouldn't you rather have him in a fair trial to make sure he gets what he deserves, rather than have the prosecutors offer him a much smaller prison time?