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Criminal Justice Process

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With crucial factors determining the success and/or failures of the death penalty, we certainly take note to the exonerations of convicted persons, especially those who were exonerated after being executed. There are currently 2,147 people who were sentenced to death that have been exonerated, totaling more than 18,750 years lost. It is hard to understand how an innocent person stood so close to being murdered, nevertheless it’s even harder to understand how an innocent person, in fact, was murdered.
Cathleen Burnett an associate professor of criminal justice and criminology at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, having seen the death penalty process unfold along with the increasing number of exonerated individuals examined the language …show more content…

It usually involves the defendant’s pleading guilty to a lesser offense or to only one or some of the counts of a multi-court indictment in return for a lighter sentence than that possible for the graver charge.” A plea bargain can be used to the prisoner’s advantage. In one scenario he can bargain crucial evidence in return for the removal of the death penalty being considerate as a punishment for his crime. In another scenario, a guilty prisoner can take a plea bargain for a lesser charge in return for his testimony against another person who may be actually innocent, using him as the fall guy. “It is the rare defendant who pleads guilty and is nonetheless sentenced to death. Thus, a defendant who knows himself or herself to be guilty has a strong self-interest to make a plea deal in order to escape the death …show more content…

We all have heard the saying “the hands of one is the hands of all” this is considered the accomplice liability. Even though “the accomplice did not perform the actus reus and may or may not possess the appropriate menas rea,” he still can be treated as equally responsible as the actual guilty person. Because of the accomplice liability rule it is possible that a factual innocent person may be eligible for the death penalty. If convicted and sentenced to death for the action of some else, factual innocence can be seen as a wrongful death sentence and a miscarriage of

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