Plea Bargains have become such a fundamental part of the justice system that at the federal level, only 2% of cases go to trial. And while plea deals definitely lower the financial cost of the legal system, it is worth asking whether or not they actually bring forth justice. Scripture is clear: sin has a cost and that cost cannot always be paid with money.
In this episode we look at the subject of plea bargains from a biblical perspective, considering both the fundamental nature of justice as well as the specific way that they have generally been implemented within the various state and federal government’s justice systems. We also discuss specific ways that plea bargains undermine obtaining a just verdict and how they both promote and hide corruption within the government. God cares a great deal about justice, and his people should care about it as well. Please join us as we discuss this important topic.
Listen to the audio version here: https://theconqueringtruth.com/2023/07/how-plea-bargains-have-corrupted-the-justice-system-ep-130-audio/
Thumbnail image by Jernej Furman under CC BY 2.0
Timecodes
00:00:00 Plea Bargins
00:04:07 God Cares About Justice
00:08:18 Adversarial System
00:10:48 Equal Crime, Equal Punishment
00:16:50 Too Many Laws
00:20:18 Is it a Good Compromise?
00:23:36 Mercy and the Law
00:27:16 Coercing to Lie
00:38:23 Equal Justice
00:43:55 Teaching the Love of Justice
00:50:37 State as God’s Minister
00:55:59 Bail Reform
00:58:44 Grand Juries
01:02:57 Public Defenders and Bribery
01:08:18 Solutions
Production of Reformation Baptist Church of Youngsville, NC
Hosts – Dan Horn, Jonathan Sides, Charles Churchill and Joshua Horn
Technical Director – Timothy Kaiser
Theme Music – Gabriel Hudelson