Ashcroft sees plea bargain overuse

Washington Times ^

[JohnHuang2]

Attorney General John Ashcroft is directing federal prosecutors to seek maximum charges and penalties more often in criminal cases and to limit use of plea bargains to get convictions, Justice Department officials said yesterday.

Plea bargains still would be permitted but tied more closely to defendants' actions, such as guarantees of cooperation in ongoing investigations, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The current guidelines give federal prosecutors far more flexibility in determining which charges to bring based on the facts of individual cases.

[JohnHuang2]

Tuesday, September 23, 2003

Quote of the Day by Tarl

[eno_]

Well now, Ashcroft gets one right. Prosecutors must be ready to prove a case, not just intimidate a person into signing a dubious "confession."

This will improve the quality of cases.

[Incorrigible]

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