09-19-2003, 06:29 PM
Just my 2 cents. I like the first part of you're proposal however, I would say that a jury decides punishment, reguardless of whether or not they plead guilty. As for classifying crimes and pairing them with punishment, that is great for a guideline. However, I'm sure there will be cases where a new crime will come up or there would be extenuating circumstances where the punishment may not fit the crime. So instead of hard and fast punishments, let the jury have the leeway to make judgements on a case by case basis. I think the SOJ's role in the process should be limited to choosing the jury, setting up the trial thread, choosing a public defender, if nesasary, setting sentancing guidelines, and making sure things don't get out of hand between all of the parties. Let the jury be the determining factor in sentances. Like I said, just my opinion.