Exam 8: Trial Defense and Prosecution

Plea bargaining occurs when a prosecutor agrees to press a less serious charge,drop some charges,or recommend a less severe sentence if the defendant agrees to plead guilty.How might this process affect the victim in the case? In other words,do you think that plea bargaining is a positive or negative process for the victim.Why or why not?

___________ are laws under which conviction for a third felony results in an extended sentence,up to life imprisonment.

A growing court __________,combined with high case mortality,reveals that most cases end in guilty pleas.

Diversion programs are alternatives to the formal criminal justice process,implemented after a suspect has been charged but prior to adjudication.

__________ are lesser included offenses that are,by definition,included in a charge as part of another (more serious)offense.

Overall spending is much higher for prosecutors' offices than for public defenders' offices,and it is likely that expenditures per case (on investigations,witness interviews,expert opinions,and legal research)are also significantly higher.

A __________ studies and reports on criminal evidence used in adjudication (DNA,drugs,blood,hair,fingerprints,fibers,documents,residue from bullets and explosives).

A judge or magistrate upholds rights of the accused,arbitrates between the prosecution and the defense in a criminal case.S/he also instructs juries,rules on issues of law and procedure,and may decide on a sentence.

The scope of the right to counsel has been defined by the U.S.Supreme Court in a series of cases involving the interpretation and application of the Sixth Amendment.How had the Supreme Court applied the right to counsel narrowly at first and how has expanded it significantly over the years.?

A type of diversion program in which a prosecutor suspends prosecution of a case pending the fulfillment of special conditions by the defendant is called __________.

An agreement by a prosecutor to press a less serious charge,drop some charges,or recommend a less severe sentence if the defendant agrees to plead guilty is called __________.

__________ is a type of diversion program in which a prosecutor suspends prosecution of a case pending the fulfillment of special conditions by the defendant.If these conditions are met,the case is dismissed.