The vast majority of felony convictions in the U.S. are the result of plea bargains, not jury trials. In this 90-minute documentary, FRONTLINE explored the moral, judicial and constitutional implications of plea bargains’ role in the justice system. (Aired 2004)
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It is the centerpiece of America’s judicial process: the trial by jury system that places a defendant’s fate in the hands of a jury of one’s peers. But most criminal cases in the U.S. never reach a jury and instead are settled through plea bargains in which a person agrees to plead guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence.
Proponents say plea bargains are the safety valve that keeps cases moving through the U.S.’s backlogged courts. Critics contend that the push to resolve cases through plea bargains jeopardizes the constitutional rights of defendants, who may be pressured to admit their guilt whether they’re guilty or not.
"The Plea," from acclaimed filmmaker Ofra Bikel, told the stories of several people — facing different charges in different parts of the country — with one thing in common: the dilemma of confronting a plea. The documentary also interviewed experts on the criminal justice system, and asked tough questions about the practice of relying on plea bargains to expedite justice.
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FRONTLINE is produced at GBH in Boston and is broadcast nationwide on PBS. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional support for FRONTLINE is provided by the Abrams Foundation, Park Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Heising-Simons Foundation, and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund, with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation, and additional support from Koo and Patricia Yuen.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Prologue
0:55 – Widespread Use of Plea Bargains in the U.S. Criminal Justice System
04:52 – A Plea Bargain in Hearne, Texas
24:15 – A Plea Bargain in Brooklyn, New York
37:29 – Wrestling With the Choice of Whether to Take a Plea Bargain
50:24 – When Taking a Plea Bargain Is a Life-or-Death Decision
1:02:49 – The Fallout From Plea Bargains Taken & Not Taken
1:22:28 – Credits