NCJ Number
76595
Date Published
1981
Length
0 pages
Annotation
Opposing views on plea bargaining in juvenile court are presented at the 1981 National Conference on Juvenile Justice.
Abstract
A chief deputy district attorney from Fort Collins, Colo., begins with a definition of plea bargaining and indicates that he will focus on charge bargaining. Such bargaining is viewed as having no place in a juvenile court. The results of a study of students' attitudes towards their teachers are reviewed to demonstrate that children prefer fair and firm handling. In terms of juvenile justice, such handling can only be assured when clear standards for children's behavior are set and then enforced in full agreement with preestablished guidelines. Instead of charging juveniles with a number of offenses, prosecutors should select the charge that makes the most sense to the offender -- the charge most closely associated with the youth's concept of wrongdoing. An assistant public defender from Minneapolis, Minn., argues that plea bargaining must be seen in the reality of individual jurisdictions and situations. Allowances must be made for situations in which a charge might call for a heavier penalty than actual circumstances warrant and for the possibility that new information regarding a case may arise after a prosecutor has decided on a charge. A table of contents is included.