2. Which of the following statements about plea bargains in US criminal cases is NOT true? Many more US criminal cases are settled through plea deals than through trial by jury. Because of the frequency of plea deals, the punishments given to “guilty” defendants in US criminal cases tend to look more like the punishments imposed in a proportionate verdict system than like the punishments imposed in a binary verdict system. The frequency of plea bargains in the US means that many criminal defendants who end up serving prison time likely would have been set free if their case had gone to trial. Plea deals undermine the legitimacy of the US criminal justice system because plea bargains require that the defendant’s guilt be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Correct! Wrong!
