Supreme Cour's Rulings on Ineffective Assistance at Plea Bargaining Stage Call for New Efforts by Not Only Defense Counsel but Also Prosecutors and Judges

Professor Laurie Levenson , Professor of Law, William M. Rains Fellow and David W. Burcham Chair in Ethical Advocacy, wrote the following article titled, "Supreme Court's Rulings on Ineffective Assistance at Plea Bargaining Stage Call for New Efforts by Not Only Defense Counsel but Also Prosecutors and Judges," that was published in Bloomberg's Criminal Law Reporter on Wed. April 25, 2012.

"It is a big year for U.S. Supreme Court cases. Health care, affirmative action, GPS devices, stripsearches--the court selected many of the hot-button issues to decide this term. Among the most important cases are Missouri v. Frye, 2012 BL 67235 (U.S. 3/21/2012), and Lafler v. Cooper, BL 67236 (U.S. 3/21/2012). In these opinions, the court recognized that plea bargaining lies at the heart of the way that the current criminal justice system operates. Thus, the court's decision to set standards for defense counsel's assistance during plea bargaining has the potential to dramatically affect how plea bargaining is handled in this country.

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