Earlier today, I was watching this show on Discovery Channel called Murders & Motives, and it really got me thinking about Plea Bargains. This guy who murdered his best friend, mutilated the body and threw it in dumpster all over town. The investigators searched his condo and found plenty of evidence as well as other evidence being burned. Well overall, he was arrested, sent to trial and at first, he was saying that he was a victim and was in self defense. Then days later, he plea guilty to man slaughter and was sentence to 10 years behind bars in 2007, but schedule for parole in 2015. Its like murderers can get away with their crime by a plead deal. I don't know how else to describe this. He would not tell the investigators where he disposed the rest of the body. So basically, this story really got to me and I've seen plenty of times where killers would just enter a plea bargain and get so little years behind bars for the horrendous crime they commit. What do you guys think of this and the US plea bargain?
The guy who stabbed my uncle to death five years ago only got 7.5 years for murdering him. My uncle (by marriage) was in and out of prison for multiple DUIs, and had stayed in a halfway house for a few months after his last stint. He was killed on my grandmother's front porch by a dude he met at the halfway house for a few bucks, so it was a capital murder charge. The dude even rode a bike over to the house to do it, so it was definitely premeditated... but since the cops and prosecutors didn't have a "smoking gun" they pleaded out with the dude. He got a manslaughter wrap as if they just got in a fight and he accidentally killed my uncle. He stabbed him several times with a blunt knife, and then left on his bike. He had no reason to be at the house or confront my uncle. My uncle wasn't a violent guy and never did drugs nor was he ever involved, he was simply an alcoholic trying to get his life on track. Meanwhile, my aunt and cousins get to know that the crazy b*stard that killed him will be out in a few years. I think for plea agreements they should have to take input from victim's families.
I like what its existence and use implies about judges' and the state's reluctance to convict or prosecute on weak evidence.
I agree to an extent, but I believe a victim or victim's families should be able to "roll the dice" with a trial just like a defendant does. How the plea agreement was handled was more traumatic than the actual event with my family.
Also some folx are bullied into plea bargains because their lawyers suggest it, they are dumb and or they just don't think they can PROVE THEIR INNOCENCE. If you innocent .. . but it looks like you going to be convicted You start thinking 2 yrs is better than 10 . . . .even though you know innocent It is easy to say . . . INNOCENTS WILL BE PROVEN IN COURT and FIGHT TO THE END many of prisoners did just that and lost . . . Sometimes you don't wanna roll them dice like that it cuts both ways Rocket River
Im sorry to hear that. I know some real innocent people who took the plea bargain knowing that they're innocent but doesn't want to risk so many years behind bars. But again, people who did commit the crime, have evidence stacked against them and by them pleading guilty to whatever and ends up getting out within 10 or so years... I think that anyone who commit a murder but get anywhere less than 20 years, is basically getting away with murder. Like the guy that murder his best friend, mutilated his entire body and dump parts of his friend's body all over town and only get around 8 years even though there are plenty of evidence against him. That feeling of letting a cold blooded murderer back into the streets in a few years does not set well, knowing that they will most likely do it again. I mean, I know plea bargain helps some convicted innocent people but again, it also gives the advantage to a cold blooded killer who has no remorse and will likely do it again to an innocent victim. I just wish they would do something differently on a murder case. If the evidence points directly at the killer such as their fingerprints, DNA, false alibi, a motive etc, that the defendant will still get a life sentence even with their plea bargain. This guy murdered and mutilated his best friend and got 8 years for it while others who were caught with drugs gets decades behind bars..
Many times plea bargains are used due to an overwhelmed DA's office and/or to save tax-payer's money on a lengthy trial. Both I feel are not reasons to offer a plea bargain. I think there should be hard limits put on just how few years you can get form a plea bargain based on the charge type, and I believe for violent crimes like murder and rape there should still be a sentencing phase with slightly reduced mins and maxes only.
In any given jurisdiction, probably 99% of defendants plea guilty. Generally, that's because the defendant did it and isn't contesting his or her guilt. The case is "state v. defendant", not "victim v. defendant", but I've never talked to a prosecutor who wouldn't consult with the victim / victim's family regarding any plea offers. I personally have taken many cases to trial where victims refused the defense's offer to plea, but that's not required. The risk to the community of a "wrongful acquittal", where a murderer is set free because the state couldn't prove the case to the jury's satisfaction, is that a violent or even homicidal individual is set free immediately to hurt more people, and that risk is factored into plea bargain offers. As to RR's point, nobody can force a defendant to plea guilty. It's his or her choice. The judge will ask the defendant whether he's pleading guilty because he is, in fact, guilty, and will likely not take the plea if he denies guilt. Both the judge and the prosecutor have ethical responsibilities in that area.
How do you know they were innocent? Did you do the crime they were charged with? So that's how you know they were innocent.
Plea bargains are an inevitable outgrowth of our system of justice. Felony trials aren't cheap and we simply don't have the resources to conduct even our fairly imperfect trials for every felony. If we had some more resources to provide for trials and to competent defense lawyers we would see less plea bargains.
