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JUS 505 Week 1 Assignment 1 Plea Bargaining Essay

Write an essay (500-750 words) on the constitutionality of the plea bargaining process. Be sure to do the following:

Your essay should include an analysis of the Supreme Court ruling in U.S. v. Ruiz, 536 U.S. 622 (2002), in which the court held that prosecutors need not inform defendants about the disparity during negotiations involved in the plea bargaining process. Give your reaction to this ruling.

Describe the advantages and disadvantages of prosecutors and defense attorneys being able to use plea bargaining. How do their goals differ? Describe whether you feel these advantages and disadvantages weigh into the constitutionality of the practice.

JUS 505 Week 1 Assignment 2 Annotated Bibliography

JUS 505 Module 1 Discussion 1: Research and read the Supreme Court case Santobello v. New York, 404 U.S. 257, 261 (1971). Analyze why, even though the Supreme Court had ruled that plea bargaining was an essential and desirable part of the criminal justice system, the Attorney General of Alaska, Avrum Gross, ordered an end to all plea bargaining in 1975. Do you agree with the Attorney General’s decision? Explain your position.

JUS 505 Module 1 Discussion 2: Discuss the ethical and legal implications involved in the plea bargain offered to Paul Hayes, who was offered a 5-year sentence for a guilty plea for attempting to pass a bad check, in exchange for not going to trial under Kentucky’s three-strike law.