Currently, prosecutors in both the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems have too much discretion in pressing charges, determining what sentences are sought, and negotiating plea deals. Trial by jury is a key tenant of the American criminal justice system, but heightened prosecutorial power significantly reduces the power and frequency of a trial by peers. Attempts at sentencing reform must address largely unchecked prosecutorial discretion.
“Progressive reformers still obsessing over so-called mass incarceration think that the best way to reduce imprisonment is to curtail the power of prosecutors’ offices. They believe that prosecutors caused the prison buildup and that DAs persist in maximizing incarceration even though crime is down. These critics are mistaken, and their proposals are unnecessary, risky, and misguided. “
National Review
May 15, 2019
Read More"Since 1993, 35 wrongfully convicted Oklahomans have been officially exonerated, according to the National Registry of Exonerations; 15 inmates have been freed in the past decade. Almost half of the state’s exonerees had been convicted of murder; 17 percent for sexual assault."
National Review
August 9, 2018
Read More