ABSTRACT
Whereas the police are highly visible in the community, the opposite is true for the criminal courts. The media image of actors in the judicial arena is one characterized by frequent criminal trials, with each side battling for truth within an adversarial environment. Although this image may be true on occasion, it is not how the adjudicative process operates in reality. Over 90 percent of criminal cases are officially disposed of by plea bargaining agreements that take place between the prosecutor’s office and defense attorneys. Often these behind-the-scenes deliberations occur over a very short period, although not always, as one of the authors in this section points out.
