courts Judges jurys Lawyers plea bargains Restorative Justice

Restorative interventions needed for 97% cases where defendants plead guilt

Not Guilty: Are the Acquitted Innocent? is an excellent new book by Dan Givelber* Northeastern Law School professor, and Amy Farrell Northeastern Criminal Justice School professor. In this easy to read book, the authors provide valuable information and insights into how judges and juries behave, and how understanding acquittals better (acquittals occur once in every 100 cases) could improve our justice system. “The pervasive problem of crime fuels the belief that we do not prosecute…

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forgiveness plea agreement plea bargains Restorative Justice Victims

Restorative justice for making plea bargians

Paul Tullis wrote a fascinating article for the New York Times Magazine about restorative justice and its use in the “plea agreement” (aka plea bargain) stage (prior to conviction and sentencing) of a murder case. Can Forgiveness Play a Role in the Criminal Justice System? describes a restorative process at the plea agreement stage in a Florida murder case where a 19 year old admittedly shot and killed his girlfriend. The NYTs article, and later…

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