I was sitting in a courtroom yesterday and waiting for a hearing when I briefly overheard a prosecutor and defense attorney talking about a pending case. I have covered lots of trials but never considered the negotiations that go on behind closed doors.
After using my acute abilities of observation, one brief conversation with someone familiar with the process and a few minutes of thought, I have concluded that prosecutors are very similar to car salesman.
They haggle with with people interested in getting the best deal possible. And you know when the deal is getting close when a prosecutor has to leave the room to ask his boss if "he can go that low."
In car sales they negotiate price, while prosecutors negotiate length of sentence.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Prosecutors are like car salesman
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2 comments:
I would have used different analogies for prosecutors, but it is fitting that a used car salesman is the target.
I'll tell you what: Giving the right offer is a hard thing. I'd say it's the hardest thing that a prosecutor does. I'd much rather prefer going to trial on each case, but we simply don't have the resources or the time. So we have to consider what will satisfy the demands of justice and still be soft enough to induce the defendant to plead guilty.
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