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For the First time in its history, NCCU School of Law is offering a Plea Bargaining class aimed at teaching its students the Plea Bargaining process and the role it plays within our judicial system. This course is taught by Professor Nicholas Herman and NCCU School of Law is one of the first Legal Institutions to offer this type of course. On Tuesday, February 21, 2008, Alamance County District Attorney Robert Johnson, Wake County Assistant District Attorney Trisha Jacobs, North Carolina Central University School of Law Professors Irving Joyner and Fred J. Williams participated in a mock plea bargaining case. The moderators for this presentation were Larry Brown, Ashlee Ayers, and Shelly Bibb, all of which are 3L Students. The class was focused around plea bargaining techniques that State Prosecutors and Criminal Attorneys use during actual plea negotiations. Both the Prosecutors and the Defense Attorneys were given confidential information about a kidnapping, and possible murder case. The panelist focused on the tactics each side would use in finding out key information between the parties and how they interacted with each other to obtain a favorable outcome for both sides. This was District Attorney Johnson’s first time visiting NCCU School of Law and it was a wonderful experience for everyone involved. Students were able to witness real practicing attorneys face off in a plea bargaining setting. In another presentation, fellow students Beth Stone, Beth Stockwell, and Josh Starin reviewed several Frontline Cases involving possible prosecutorial misconduct. These students showed several clips on how plea bargaining sentences affected the lives of several individuals from around the country and how prosecutorial discretion can lead to inadequate sentencing arrangements. For further details on this Frontline special, please visit its web site at http://www.pbs/org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/plea/ This Plea Bargaining class is a welcomed addition to NCCU School of Law’s Alternative Dispute Resolution course offerings. The class focuses on sentencing guidelines, ethical considerations surrounding plea negotiations, teaching students negotiating techniques, and the roles attorneys play to ensure their clients are well informed to make an important decision while maintaining the public’s right to be protected. |
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