Prof. JaneAnne Murray Quoted in Rochester Post Bulletin About Abundance of Plea Deals in Smaller Counties

Professor JaneAnne Murray was quoted in the Rochester Post Bulletin about the reliance on plea deals, especially ones dealing with sex-crime related charges, among small Minnesota counties. The abundance of plea deals may reflect a shortage of legal resources. In Wabasha County alone, over 20 sex-crime convictions since 2020 have been via plea deals with no cases going to trial. Prosecuting such cases consumes time and resources that smaller counties often cannot spare including fewer attorneys or victim services advocates. Prof. Murray said that in general, plea deals are much more common than trials, espcially in sex-offense cases. One reason defendants agree to a plea deal, she said, is to avoid a stiffer penalty with a defendant possibly facing a sentence three times longer that what is typical in a negotiated plea agreement. She said prosecutors agree to lighter sentences in plea deals because the plea streamlines the legal process and shows the defendant taking accountability for their actions.