People in the U.S. have a constitutional right to a jury trial. Yet, more than 95% of criminal convictions result from guilty pleas rather than jury verdicts.
The bulk of these guilty pleas come from plea bargaining. This occurs when prosecutors offer reduced sentences to defendants. In return, they waive their right to a trial.
How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect plea deals? A team of researchers that included Missouri State University’s Dr. David Zimmerman worked to find out through an experimental study.
Zimmerman, an associate professor of psychology, discusses the research.