Melissa Hinton CJUS 2050 6.3 Critical Thinking Exercise Discuss examples of prosecutorial discretion.

Do prosecuting attorneys have too much power? A. Prosecutorial discretionauthority of an agency or officer to: a. Choose whether or not to bring criminal charges i. Ex: A prosecutor brings lesser charges against a defendant to expedite plea bargaining ii. Ex 2: During the civil rights, white prosecutors in the South refused to bring whites up on charges for crimes against African Americans, even though evidence was present b. Decide the nature of charges i. Criminal or civil c. Recommend plea bargaining or sentence i. A guilty person where the prosecution doesnt have a wealth of evidence, but still have enough evidence to convict, may lead a defendant to take a plea agreement. Otherwise, prosecutors may seek maximum sentences in any cases. d. Applies in civil, administrative, and criminal situations