Time Served

Time Served Name Institution Course Instructor Date Time Served Over the years, there has been a discussion where people have raised concerns about the criminal court operation, which usually denies the defendant's right to due process. Even though different researchers have addressed the issue, Blumberg, Gershowitz, and Killinger are some of the researchers who have given in-depth research regarding the issue. The common structural issues that have affected the fairness of judicial proceedings include defensive attorneys acting as double agents, coercive plea bargaining, and overworked judicial proceedings. These factors have been highlighted as causing the defendants to make guilty pleas even when the defendants are innocent, undermining the principle of justice. One of the problems is that law enforcement is collaborating on this problem. For instance, Blumberg (2013) describes the criminal court system as a "confidence game." He highlights that rather than prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges prioritizing justice, they have prioritized efficiency. There have been instances where they have pressured the defendants to plead guilty to "time served," where they could get an immediate release with credit for their time in custody if they accept that they are guilty. The main reason for prioritizing this approach is that it could help the court clear cases quickly, reducing the expense and time that could have been spent on the trial. This approach forces most innocent individuals to accept that they were guilty due to fear of risking a harsher sentence at trial. The power imbalance between the defense ...