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The DA's role to win as many cases as they can. They only drop cases they don't think they can win. Threatening people with charges if they don't take plea dea

The DA's role to win as many cases as they can. They only drop cases they don't think they can win. Threatening people with charges if they don't take plea deals is an easy way for them to win. That's what led to a news item last year of some immigrant truck driver getting over 100 years in prison (plus mandatory minimums) because he didn't take a plea deal after his breaks failed and he hit a car and killed some people accidentally.

mandmandam 4y ago
That's not actually their role. It's not what we pay them to do. It may be how they view their role, and it may be how their incentives line up. But it's not actually their job. I bet you know this, I'm just clarifying.
- cbsmith 4y ago
  Yeah, I think it's a bit unfair to reduce this to the indifference of DAs. They focus on getting plea deals and convictions because that's what their constituents focus on. No DA wants to squeeze out a plea deal if their constituents are going to be angry & disappointed with.
blockinator 4y ago
For anyone curious, the governor commuted his sentence in that case to 10 years, eligible for parole in 2026 [1]. It wasn't a simple accident though - it involved a great deal of negligence at the minimum. [1] https://www.fox29.com/news/truck-driver-rogel-aguilera-mederos-granted-clemency-by-colorado-governor-after-110-year-prison-sentence https://www.fox29.com/news/truck-driver-rogel-aguilera-meder...
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
rahimnathwani 4y ago
"The DA's role to win as many cases as they can." When the San Francisco DA's office was run by Chesa Boudin, I spoke with an attorney there. That attorney told me that the role of the DA's office was to 'deliver justice', and he was explicit about that meaning they wouldn't pursue all cases they thought they could win, and wouldn't seek maximum sentences they thought they could achieve. Prior to working for the DA's office, he was a public defender, so perhaps this attitude isn't universal...

mandmandam 4y ago

That's not actually their role. It's not what we pay them to do. It may be how they view their role, and it may be how their incentives line up. But it's not actually their job. I bet you know this, I'm just clarifying.

cbsmith 4y ago
Yeah, I think it's a bit unfair to reduce this to the indifference of DAs. They focus on getting plea deals and convictions because that's what their constituents focus on. No DA wants to squeeze out a plea deal if their constituents are going to be angry & disappointed with.

blockinator 4y ago

For anyone curious, the governor commuted his sentence in that case to 10 years, eligible for parole in 2026 [1]. It wasn't a simple accident though - it involved a great deal of negligence at the minimum. [1] https://www.fox29.com/news/truck-driver-rogel-aguilera-mederos-granted-clemency-by-colorado-governor-after-110-year-prison-sentence https://www.fox29.com/news/truck-driver-rogel-aguilera-meder...

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

rahimnathwani 4y ago

"The DA's role to win as many cases as they can." When the San Francisco DA's office was run by Chesa Boudin, I spoke with an attorney there. That attorney told me that the role of the DA's office was to 'deliver justice', and he was explicit about that meaning they wouldn't pursue all cases they thought they could win, and wouldn't seek maximum sentences they thought they could achieve. Prior to working for the DA's office, he was a public defender, so perhaps this attitude isn't universal...