Survey: Why Defendants Cooperate with the Government in a Process Described as ‘Unfair’ by Defense Attorneys by Douglas Ankney by Douglas Ankney “Cooperation is a horrible thing for clients. Doing law enforcement’s job and requiring someone to bargain for their freedom encourages an ugly, unfair, and unjust system to become …

Ohio Justice Calls for Plea Bargaining Reform to End ‘Sentencing by Ambush’ by David Reutter by David M. Reutter In an article that appeared in the Akron Law Review, Ohio Supreme Court Justice Michael P. Donnelly detailed his experience, concerns, and solutions to create a fair playing field in the …

Study Examines the ‘Black Box’ of Prosecutorial Charging and Plea Bargaining Discretion by David Reutter by David M. Reutter Prosecutors are empowered with unparalleled and nearly unchecked discretion in making charging and plea-bargaining decisions. Their decisions have been called a “black box” for their inscrutability. A recent study casts some …

Trial Penalty: The Harm in Coercive Prosecutorial Tactics and Plea Bargains by David Reutter by David M. Reutter "Representative government and trial by jury are the heart and lungs of liberty. Without them we have no other fortification against being ridden like horses, fleeced like sheep, worked like cattle, and …