Plea Deals

[Xiphos]

A friend recently asked me what I thought, as a cop, about plea deals.

On the one hand, I understand the necessity. If we tried every case with a jury trial it would take years for one case to get through the system. We'd need a much larger judicial infrastructure, prisons, and jury pool.

On the other hand, is justice served when we give murderers, child molesters, and rapists reduced sentences?

From a practical stand point, every place I've worked as a cop has had a complete mess with court. Nobody at court cares about my schedule or whether I've slept at all in the last few days. Plea deals keep me out of court and make my life easier.

What frustrates you with court? If you could give advice to DA's about plea deals, what would it be?

I ask the citizens here as well. What do you demand from your prosecutors and courts? What guidance would you give?

[Jks9199]

Plea deals serve a useful purpose, and they're not going to go away. There is a danger of people pleading to something when innocent because they are afraid or cannot fight it. That's why I personally make sure my cases are solid before I get charges.

What gets frustrating is when I discover that the prosecutor has made a deal without consulting me. Probably 9 out of 10 times, I don't care if you plead the guy down. And I try to put enough detail into my report to make it clear -- assuming they read the report. Because that time I do care? There's a reason I want the guy hammered -- or want him given a very good deal.

And, for any prosecutor reading this... If you're going to complain that cops don't send reports... show that you've actually read the report when they do send them. Nothing like sending a prosecutor your report 2 or 3 weeks ahead of court, and on the day of, having him have you repeat everything because he never bothered to actually read the paper. I'm not saying he's got to know it inside out... but at least read over it once to know the broad outline before you come up to the courtroom!

[irishmick]

Plea deals serve their purpose, I suppose. I think they're, a lot of times, achingly unfair to the victims.

[Bjohnson63]

Once I send the case to the DA, I don't worry about the outcome. That way I don't hear about the guy (who called himself the "Great Big Hippie" who admitted to dealing the pot at concerts every weekend) who I busted with 2 pounds of individually package pot getting a simple misd. possession charge after I put in hours of work on the case.

Or like the guy who had 14 grams of crack, 1 oz mary-jane, ran from us, fought us, broke out my squad window and sprained my wrist, getting six months with time served despite an incredibly long record of resisting and drug dealing. Then he got revoked on his 2 year probation when he got caught dealing again, and then fought with the officers, again, and injured one of them.... He should be out sometime early next year.

By not worrying about the outcome, it saves me the stress, frustration, and annoyance, and keeps me just going out and doing my job the best I can with the hope the DA does theirs. Ignorance is bliss once in a while LOL.

[keith720]

Once I send the case to the DA, I don't worry about the outcome. That way I don't hear about the guy (who called himself the "Great Big Hippie" who admitted to dealing the pot at concerts every weekend) who I busted with 2 pounds of individually package pot getting a simple misd. possession charge after I put in hours of work on the case.

Or like the guy who had 14 grams of crack, 1 oz mary-jane, ran from us, fought us, broke out my squad window and sprained my wrist, getting six months with time served despite an incredibly long record of resisting and drug dealing. Then he got revoked on his 2 year probation when he got caught dealing again, and then fought with the officers, again, and injured one of them.... He should be out sometime early next year.

By not worrying about the outcome, it saves me the stress, frustration, and annoyance, and keeps me just going out and doing my job the best I can with the hope the DA does theirs. Ignorance is bliss once in a while LOL.

I agree. If I've done my job, that's the best I can do. If someone else screws it up, that's on them. Either way, I did what needed to be done at the time.

[ChesCopPodz]

I too have given up on prosecutors and judges. Once my work is done, it's out of my hands.

The only time I'm for them is when I have to get up at noon to check if my court case has been called off. Then I don't mind that my case got cancelled due to a plea deal and I get to go back to bed.