Live From OttawaU: Plea Bargains - A deal with the Devil?

To open 2017 we recorded our first episode in front of a live studio audience at the University of Ottawa and its all about plea bargains. Plea bargains have turned into a bit of a dirty word. The public is often concerned about what can be perceived as a deal with the devil. But in reality plea bargains are often more unfair to an accused than to the state. The power imbalance between the machinery of the justice system and a single accused can be overwhelming. Often guilty pleas are far from voluntary - an innocent accused may be tempted to take a plea deal to avoid minimum sentence, to get out of hellish jail conditions, or to be reunited with their families. Plea bargaining is an ethical quagmire for both prosecutors and defence lawyers. So lets shine some light into a dark corner of the justice system and talk about it.