Plea bargaining is encouraged in the criminal system for many reasons. It can help reduce the caseload, eliminate the need for victims to testify, result in charges being dropped for a defendant, and can secure a defendant’s testimony against co-defendants. Plea bargaining does not occur in every case. Those defendants who instead request a trial are sentenced to prison at a higher rate than those who accept a plea bargain. Consider the role of the judge in sentencing. Explain why a judge may sentence a defendant who is convicted of a crime after trial more harshly than one who accepted a plea bargain for the same charge.
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