Helm Rebecca K, Reyna Valerie F, Franz Allison A, Novick Rachel Z, Dincin Sarah, Cort Amanda E
University of Exeter Law School, Department of Human Development, and Center for Behavioral Economics and Decision Research, Cornell University.
Human Neuroscience Institute, Department of Human Development, and Center for Behavioral Economics and Decision Research, Cornell University.
Psychol Crime Law. 2018;24(9):915-934. doi: 10.1080/1068316X.2018.1457672. Epub 2018 Apr 6.
In the American criminal justice system the vast majority of criminal convictions occur as the result of guilty pleas, often made as a result of plea bargains, rather than jury trials. The incentives offered in exchange for guilty pleas mean that both innocent and guilty defendants plead guilty. We investigate the role of attorneys in this context, through interviews with criminal defense attorneys. We examine defense attorney perspectives on the extent to which innocent defendants are (and should be) pleading guilty in the current legal framework and their views of their own role in this complex system. We also use a hypothetical case to probe the ways in which defense attorneys consider guilt or innocence when providing advice on pleas. Results indicate that attorney advice is influenced by guilt or innocence, but also that attorneys are limited in the extent to which they can negotiate justice for their clients in a system in which uncertainty and large discrepancies between outcomes of guilty pleas and conviction at trial can make it a sensible option to plead guilty even when innocent. Results also suggest conflicting opinions over the role of the attorney in the plea-bargaining process.
在美国刑事司法系统中，绝大多数刑事定罪是认罪的结果，通常是辩诉交易的结果，而非陪审团审判的结果。为换取认罪而提供的激励措施意味着无辜和有罪的被告都会认罪。我们通过对刑事辩护律师的访谈，研究了律师在此背景下的作用。我们审视了辩护律师对于在当前法律框架下无辜被告认罪（以及应该认罪）程度的看法，以及他们对自己在这个复杂系统中所扮演角色的观点。我们还使用一个假设案例来探究辩护律师在就认罪提供建议时考虑有罪或无罪的方式。结果表明，律师的建议受到有罪或无罪的影响，但同时也表明，在一个存在不确定性且认罪结果与审判定罪之间存在巨大差异的系统中，即使被告是无辜的，认罪也可能成为一个明智的选择，律师在为其客户争取公正方面的能力受到限制。结果还表明，对于律师在辩诉交易过程中的角色存在相互冲突的观点。
