[jathrinthoyan]

North Carolina voters amended our constitution to allow defendants in criminal cases the right to waive jury trials for non-capital offenses.

While this is good, it also seems to present an opening for the acceptance of plea bargains, whereby the defendant agrees to his or her guilt in exchange for giving the State something. From a defendant’s standpoint, a plea bargain seems to be an admission of guilt.

What are the real legal effects of this?

[gutzmank]

I find it hard to believe that there was a ban on doing so before. As it’s a defendant’s right to demand a jury trial, I’d have thought he could waive it.

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