Pleading Out : How Plea Bargaining Creates a Permanent Criminal Class

A blistering critique of America’s assembly-line approach to criminal justice and the shameful practice at its core: the plea bargain Most Americans believe that the jury trial is the backbone of our criminal justice system. But in fact, the vast majority of cases never make it to trial: almost all criminal convictions are the result of a plea bargain, a deal made entirely out of the public eye. Law professor and civil rights lawyer Dan Canon argues that plea bargaining may swiftly dispose of cases, but it also fuels an unjust system. This practice produces a massive underclass of people who are restricted from voting, working, and otherwise participating in society. And while innocent people plead guilty to crimes they did not commit in exchange for lesser sentences, the truly guilty can get away with murder. With heart-wrenching stories, fierce urgency, and an insider’s perspective, Pleading Out exposes the ugly truth about what’s wrong with America’s criminal justice system today—and offers a prescription for meaningful change. "Law professor and civil rights lawyer Dan Canon argues that an astounding 97 percent of cases in the United States are disposed of quickly and quietly with plea deals, rather than the jury trials most of us envision. Over the last 200 years, the criminal justice system has come to prioritize speed and volume above all else. The central question our courts ask is not whether justice is being done, but how they can more efficiently herd bodies through a reductive, inadequate, inhuman process. The result is a massive underclass of people who are restricted from voting, working, and otherwise participating in society. Pleading Out exposes the ugly truth about what's wrong with America's criminal justice system today-and provides a starting point for fixing it"-- Provided by publisher