Sociology 2253A/B Study Guide - Final Guide: Problem Solving, Penology, Dual Role
24 Sep 2015
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Charges are not laid in many cases : victims refuses cooperation, suspect or important witness dies, suspect referred to psychiatric facility, suspect under age of 12, reliability & admissibility of evidence, crown workload, expense too much for severity of crime. Plea bargaining: agreement pleads guilty in exchange for benefit: withdrawal of some charges or reduction of charge, proceeding summarily, concurrent vs. consecutive sentences, joint submission about sentencing, guilty plea discount. Consequence of : tunnel vision by police, mistaken eyewitness identification, false confessions, testimony of in custody informers, defective, unreliable, & unsubstantiated expert testimony. Considerations: aggravating circumstances: negative facts increase sentence, mitigating circumstances: positive facts decrease severity (e. g. , ab, case law precedent: consider previous cases (should be similar, pre sentence reports: info on the offender"s background, present, & risks or needs (cid:224) sets out options for sentencing, psychological assessments: addresses mental state, treatment need, aboriginal offenders: consider alternatives other than prison.
