Fairness And The Willingness To Accept Plea Bargain Offers,
2010
Notre Dame Law School
Fairness And The Willingness To Accept Plea Bargain Offers, Avishalom Tor
Journal Articles
In contrast with the common assumption in the plea bargaining literature, we show fairness-related concerns systematically impact defendants' preferences and judgments. In the domain of preference, innocents are less willing to accept plea offers (WTAP) than guilty defendants and all defendants reject otherwise attractive offers that appear comparatively unfair. We also show that defendants who are uncertain of their culpability exhibit egocentrically biased judgments and reject plea offers as if they were innocent. The article concludes by briefly discussing the normative implications of these findings.
Ensuring The Ethical Representation Of Clients In The Face Of Excessive Caseloads,
2010
Washington University in St. Louis School of Law
Ensuring The Ethical Representation Of Clients In The Face Of Excessive Caseloads, Peter A. Joy
Scholarship@WashULaw
The right of one charged with [a] crime to counsel may not be deemed fundamental and essential to fair trials in some countries, but it is in ours. From the very beginning, our state and national constitutions and laws have laid great emphasis on procedural and substantive safeguards designed to assure fair trials before impar-tial tribunals in which every defendant stands equal before the law. This noble ideal cannot be realized if the poor man charged with [a] crime has to face his accusers without a lawyer to assist him.
You can't give me too many cases, too many clients, …
Constructing Systemic Safeguards Against Informant Perjury,
2010
Washington University in St. Louis School of Law
Constructing Systemic Safeguards Against Informant Perjury, Peter A. Joy
Scholarship@WashULaw
Reliance on an informant's testimony as the primary basis for charging and convicting the accused is fraught with problems. While the hypothetical explicitly addresses the ethical dilemmas defense counsel faces when her client is trading false testimony in exchange for a reduced charge and shorter sentence, the hypothetical also implicitly illustrates the inadequacies of our criminal justice system's current handling of testimony from cooperating witnesses.
The focus on the ethical, and perhaps moral, obligations of Lawyer representing a potentially perjurious Client begs larger questions. Are there safeguards the prosecutor's office could employ to ensure that the trial prosecutor, who is …
