Legal Question in Criminal Law in Minnesota

Prevelance of plea bargaining in exchange for testimony

As you may know, the new Lincoln Douglas debate topic for high school kids is about plea bargaining. No-one has seemingly been able to find just how common plea bargaining in exchange for testimony is. Most know 90% of cases are decided by a plea bargain, but not how many are specifically in exchange for testimony. This would be an invaluable statistic, and I would much appreciate a qualified professional giving me an answer.

Thanks,

Will


Asked on 11/01/07, 8:58 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
John Jesperson Minnesota Lawyers - Jesperson Law Offices

Re: Prevelance of plea bargaining in exchange for testimony

Thank you for your question. Unfortunately, so far as I am aware, there are no statistics on this specific topic. True, most criminal matters are settled through some sort of plea negotiation, and prosecutors will sometimes offer to reduce the charges against a defendant in exchange for favorable testimony, usually in cases involving multiple defendants or related criminal proceedings. Unfortunately, perhaps, I am not aware of anyone who has attempted to quantify this. You may want to contact a professor of criminal law/procedure at one of the law schools (the UofM, Hamline, Mitchell, or St. Thomas.) Good luck.

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Answered on 11/02/07, 11:12 pm


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