cannabisnews.com: Plea Bargainers Do Not Have Right to More Evidence





Plea Bargainers Do Not Have Right to More Evidence
Posted by CN Staff on June 24, 2002 at 12:55:34 PT
By Gina Holland, Associated Press Writer
Source: Associated Press
Prosecutors do not have to turn over more evidence to defendants considering guilty pleas, the Supreme Court ruled Monday. The unanimous court rejected arguments that people have a constitutional right to see much of the case against them before making a decision about their plea.The ruling turned on whether defendants who plead guilty should receive the same information that prosecutors give defendants who plead innocent and go on trial.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco had said prosecutors must reveal any evidence that could help the defendant's case. The high court, on a 9-0 vote, overturned that decision.Justice Stephen Breyer said at least 90 percent of federal criminal cases are settled with plea bargains. Changing disclosure requirements would burden the government, he said."We cannot say that the Constitution's due process requirement demands so radical a change in the criminal justice process in order to achieve so comparatively small a constitutional benefit," said Breyer, writing for the court.Prosecutors already have to reveal some information to accused defendants, but they don't have to release all of their case, including lists of prospective witnesses.The Bush administration had warned that tens of thousands of cases nationwide could be hurt if the court required more information sharing by prosecutors.Breyer said the administration had legitimate concerns that guilty pleas would be harder to obtain and that ongoing investigations would be disrupted.Justices upheld the 18-month sentence given Angela Ruiz, who pleaded guilty to importing marijuana after agents found 66 pounds of marijuana hidden in the 1970 Mercury Cougar she was driving in Southern California near the Mexico border in 1999.The case is United States v. Ruiz, 01-595.Source: Associated PressAuthor: Gina Holland, Associated Press WriterPublished: Monday, June 24, 2002Copyright: 2002 Associated Press Related Articles:High Court Rules on Defendants' Rights http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13211.shtmlSupreme Court To Decide if Suspects Have Rights http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11688.shtml
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Comment #1 posted by xxdr_zombiexx on June 26, 2002 at 16:17:55 PT
Breyer, again
A rubber stamp for the Bush Team.Traitors, 1 and all
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