Wonder why there are so many plea bargains?
Once filed, criminal cases must end -- by dismissal, plea bargain or trial.
In 2013, there were 613 indictments handed down by the Grand Jury in Gila County.
There are two elected judges (Judge Cahill and Judge Duber); there are two courtrooms capable of jury trials. Assuming each judge tried one case every week of the year, the courts are capable of presiding over no more than 104 trials (52 weeks x 2 judges). That means that at least 509 cases or 83% of the cases that are filed have to end by dismissal or plea bargain.
In fact, in 2013 there were not 104 trials, there were 19 trials (3%), meaning that the percentage of cases to be disposed of by dismissal or plea bargain has to be 97% or the system begins to break down.
Judges can’t control how many cases are filed or how many are plea bargained – that is between the prosecutor and the defendant’s lawyer. Case management is a crucial part of judge’s job—if cases aren’t handled expeditiously, the resulting log jam of cases inevitably means cases exceed Constitutional and statutory time limits and must be dismissed, sometimes by the prosecutor but more often by the judge.
Once filed, criminal cases must end -- by dismissal, plea bargain or trial.
In 2013, there were 613 indictments handed down by the Grand Jury in Gila County.
There are two elected judges (Judge Cahill and Judge Duber); there are two courtrooms capable of jury trials. Assuming each judge tried one case every week of the year, the courts are capable of presiding over no more than 104 trials (52 weeks x 2 judges). That means that at least 509 cases or 83% of the cases that are filed have to end by dismissal or plea bargain.
In fact, in 2013 there were not 104 trials, there were 19 trials (3%), meaning that the percentage of cases to be disposed of by dismissal or plea bargain has to be 97% or the system begins to break down.
Judges can’t control how many cases are filed or how many are plea bargained – that is between the prosecutor and the defendant’s lawyer. Case management is a crucial part of judge’s job—if cases aren’t handled expeditiously, the resulting log jam of cases inevitably means cases exceed Constitutional and statutory time limits and must be dismissed, sometimes by the prosecutor but more often by the judge.