Plea bargains constitute over 90 percent of convictions in criminal cases but lack transparency and public scrutiny, according to a report by Vera Institute of Justice. The report synthesizes studies on plea bargains and analyzes how this practice influences outcomes for people who take plea bargains instead of going to trial. The MacArthur-supported report also found that the justice system would be overwhelmed if even a small fraction of plea bargains went to trial, a constitutionally guaranteed right.
