NCJ Number
195679
Journal
Howard Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 41 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2002 Pages: 151-166
Date Published
2002
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This article addresses the relationship between pleas and trial outcomes in Crown Court.
Abstract
Focusing on changes in plea rates and on the relationship between plea and outcome in Crown Court trials, this article is part of a larger study addressing the operation of protective sentencing legislation in the Crown Court. Data on 573 counts of manslaughter, rape, attempted rape, and indecent assault, and the guilty pleas offered by the accused were compared with not guilty pleas. The author reports that the results of this study support previous research indicating that defendants often issue low rates of guilty pleas for rape and indecent assault cases. Furthermore, high levels of not guilty pleas were often issued in those cases. The author concludes this article by suggesting that variations in plea rates, across all offences, need to be examined so that due process is not influencing legitimate trial outcomes. Tables, notes, and references