Change Policy of Plea Bargaining System

On September 22nd, Attorney General John Ashcroft introduced a new set of rules that would serve to change the use of plea bargains. In contrast to the previous guidelines where prosecutors were given more responsibilities in determining charges, this new directive would limit the use of plea bargains. Ashcroft believes that this new directive will make the rulings of prosecutions more consistent overall.

The columnists points out that reducing plea bargains and reducing instances where criminal cases are settled out of court would put an extra burden on the courts. Criminal cases would more often ...