Reformers v. Abolitionists: Some Notes for Further Research on Plea Bargaining

Recent work on plea bargaining reveals a normative shift by many academics to a more favorable position regarding this practice. The reasons for this shift are discussed, as are future directions for research. Factors which may have resulted in the favorable shift include: indications that the practice is widespread, indications that it has been practiced for a long time & is not merely the result of an overloaded trial system, the variations of plea bargaining reported, endorsement by the Supreme Court, & resulting formalization & openness of the procedure. Emphasized are two general directions for future research: an examination of the processes & outcomes of the criminal trial, of which little is now known, & a classification of cases into 'hard' & 'easy' & the distribution of each type. M. Migalski.