plea bargain debate 1

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our initial discussion thread is due on Day 3 (Thursday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Refer to the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric under the Settings icon above for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.

Plea Bargain Debate [WLO: 2] [CLOs: 4, 6]

Prior to beginning work on this video presentation, read Plea and Charge Bargaining: Research Summary (Links to an external site.) and The Unnecessary Evil of Plea Bargaining: An Unconstitutional Conditions Problem and a Not-So-Least Restrictive Alternative (Links to an external site.). Additionally, watch Due Process: Let’s Make a Deal: The Plea Bargain (Aired 12/9/12) (Links to an external site.).

Well over 90% of criminal cases in the United States are concluded through a plea bargain—a significant number of those for the crime initially charged (the defendant does not plead guilty to a lesser crime than charged). As future criminal justice professionals, it is important for you to fully understand the purposes, goals, and procedures for plea agreements. In this video presentation, weigh the significance of plea bargains and the impact eliminating them would have upon the criminal justice system. Pay close attention to the limited role that judges play in plea bargains. Choose your side wisely; you will be defending your position in your video!

Prepare a two- to three-minute video presentation with detailing the following information:

  • Explain the plea bargaining process.
  • List the elements of a valid plea bargain.
  • Define the role of a judge in the plea bargaining process.
  • Create and provide an opinion on whether plea bargaining is a benefit to the United States criminal justice system and why.
    • If you are in favor of continuing plea bargaining, address arguments against its continued prevalence.
    • If you are against continuing plea bargaining, address arguments for its continued prevalence.

Please note that oral presentations will take place in the Canvas discussion forum. This oral presentation will be available for both the instructor and your fellow classmates to view.

Recording or uploading a video:

  • Write a script. Name and save your script as a MS Word document. (The script will be used for reference while you record your video and may be used as a transcript for accessibility purposes.)
  • Record your presentation using the Canvas video tool. Review the Canvas Video Submission Instructions on how to create a video post using your computer’s webcam.
  • As an alternative, you may use an external platform called Screencast-O-Matic (Links to an external site.). Please review the Screencast-O-Matic Quick-Start Guide instructions in order to get started. This guide will familiarize you with the tool and review how to upload your video to the classroom.
  • If you choose to use another video recording tool for your submission, such as a cell phone or digital video camera, upload your video to YouTube (Android (Links to an external site.) or iPhone & iPad (Links to an external site.)) or other web-based video platform, obtain a link, and paste your video link within your initial post in this discussion forum.
  • Paste your script within your initial post in this discussion forum.

For advice and information on webcam presentations, see Webcam Recording Do’s and Don’ts (Links to an external site.).

Guided Response: This is a debate. First, you must necessarily choose a side through research and reason. Offer your opinion in your video presentation and be prepared to defend it! Be sure to address questions that are against your position as well as those in favor of it. When debating, you need to understand your opponent’s views, if not better, at least as well as you understand your own position.

Review several of your classmates’ video posts. You are required to post two substantive responses to your classmates’ video presentations. Your responses to classmates must be at least 200 words in length. You need to support your responses with credible sourcing, either from the required readings this week, or from independent research that you conduct in the Ashford University Library or online.

Remember to be respectful of your classmates in this and all debates. It is expected that you will differ on positions taken by your “opponents,” but it is never professional or successful to engage in personal attacks. Keep all comments and arguments based upon the scholarly or credible information you have gleaned from classroom sources and outside scholarly and/or credible information research. You are encouraged to post your required replies earlier in the week to promote more meaningful and interactive discourse in this discussion forum. Continue to monitor the discussion forum until 5:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) on Day 7, and respond with robust dialogue to anyone who replies to your initial post.