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From: preece@uicsl.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: re: plea bargaining - (nf)
Message-ID: <3164@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 7-Oct-83 21:54:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.3164
Posted: Fri Oct  7 21:54:36 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 9-Oct-83 04:51:04 EDT
Lines: 31

#R:dvamc:-109500:uicsl:7500030:000:1375
uicsl!preece    Oct  7 09:58:00 1983

	I don't think I missed a basic point.  That's right, plea bargaining
	happens before sentencing, so what good is a punishment if it is in
	fact never given out?
----------
In response to dvamc!ms:

I didn't mean to object to your complaint about plea bargaining per se,
just to your muddled claim that plea bargaining somehow keeps
people under death sentences from being executed.

Plea bargaining is indefensible, except that it's the only way our
courts stay afloat.  The problems I see with plea bargaining are that it
induces people who really are innocent to plead guilty rather than risk
conviction of a more serious offence, it keeps serious offenders from
serving their ordained penalty, and it creates the perception that
the justice system is an exercise in game theory. Unfortunately, the
judicial system simply couldn't cope with the case load if it couldn't
get people to short circuit their rights to a trial.

The death penalty is a separate matter, of course. I don't think there
should be one. There is no good evidence that it is an effective
deterrent,  It is often mis-applied (in this county the state's attorney's
position is that he will seek the death penalty whenever it applies; no
consideration of the merits of the case); it has the potential for
irreversible error; it reflects poorly on our humanity.

scott preece
pur-ee!uiucdcs!uicsl!preece