A System of Pleas: Social Sciences Contributions to the Real Legal System (American Psychology-Law Society Series) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0190689242 ISBN 13: 9780190689247

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2019

Synopsis

Over 95% of criminal convictions are by guilty plea. Trials are the rarity, and while much has been written on jury decision making and various parts of the trial process, the field has been largely silent on the practice that is most likely to affect an individual charged with a crime: plea bargaining.

A System of Pleas: Social Science's Contributions to the Real Legal System brings together into one resource the burgeoning body of research on plea bargaining. Drawing attention to the fact that convictions today are nearly synonymous with guilty pleas, this contributed volume begins with an overview and history of plea bargaining, with chapters focusing on defendants, defense attorneys and prosecutors and plea bargains; influences on plea decision-making, including race, juvenile justice system involvement, and innocence; and the results of a "system of pleas", such as sentencing disparities and mass incarceration, collateral consequences, and disenfranchisement. A concluding chapter by the volume's editors examines ways to move forward within an entrenched system. An excellent reference tool for furthering both research and practice, A System of Pleas is a must-have for academics and legal professionals interested in the fields of criminal justice, psychology and law, and related disciplines.

About this title

About the Author:

Vanessa A. Edkins is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Florida Institute of Technology. Her research has been published in Law and Human Behavior, and Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology. Her work has also received coverage in the Wall Street Journal and The Economist.

Allison D. Redlich is a Professor of Criminology, Law and Society at George Mason University. The author/editor of five books, she is an internationally recognized expert on confessions and interrogations, guilty pleas, and mental health courts, and publishes extensively in these areas.

Review:

"The Supreme Court has recognized that the American criminal justice system is from beginning to end a system of bargained guilty pleas. The studies presented here provide a comprehensive tour of this system from pretrial detention and the pressures it exerts though the harsh and often undisclosed collateral consequences that follow seemingly beneficial plea agreements. This book examines in depth the decisions of prosecutors, defense attorneys, and defendants (both adults and juveniles), and it documents the sentencing disparities that keep the river of guilty pleas flowing. Once you've read this book, you'll understand what makes our system of criminal justice go." -- Albert W. Alschuler, Julius Kreeger Professor of Criminal Law and Criminology Emeritus, The University of Chicago Law School

"The plea bargaining process is the silent giant without which the entire criminal justice system would grind to a halt. Yet, despite its immeasurable societal importance, the process has received scant attention from social scientists. This path breaking book remedies that glaring shortfall. The authors provide an insightful and comprehensive account of the process: the goals, incentives and constraints of the actors involved, its effect on racial minorities, juveniles and innocent defendants, and its impact on society at large. For years to come, no scholarly discussion of plea bargaining will be able to ignore this volume." -- Dan Simon, Richard L. and Maria B. Crutcher Professor of Law & Psychology, USC Gould School of Law and Department of Psychology

"With over 95% of criminal convictions in the U.S. achieved though guilty pleas, the time has come for social scientists to scrutinize the system, the process, the players, and the outcomes. With timely chapters written by active scholars, this book offers an overview of history and law; an up-to-date look at research on how prosecutors, attorneys and defendants make plea decisions; and the added challenges that confront innocents, juveniles, and minorities. Like it or not, today is the age of the plea bargain - and this book shines a critical spotlight on how it happens." -- Saul Kassin, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

"It has taken decades, but the disciplines of criminology, economics, psychology, criminal justice, and history now give plea bargaining the full attention it deserves. Edkins and Redlich have assembled into this one volume the interconnected insights from these disciplines to explain the plea-centered reality of criminal courts in the United States. If you're new to the work of criminal courts, you need this book. And if you're an experienced traveler in the criminal courts and need a fresh way to see daily business, you need this book." -- Ronald F. Wright, Gulley Professor of Criminal Law, Wake Forest University

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 0190689242
• ISBN 13: 9780190689247
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224
• Editor: Edkins Vanessa A., Redlich Allison D.