Week 0: Introduction

Hi! I’m Andre Zubritsky and this is my senior project blog! I’ve been at Basis Independent Brooklyn since the 3rd grade, and for my Senior Project I will be tackling the causes and effects of the predominance of plea deals in the NYC justice system. I’ve been interested in humanities my whole life and was taught the fair way to do things is always the best. I hope with that background I will be able to assess plea bargains and create solutions to make the overall process more equal and fair for all involved.  For my placement, I will be working working with Ms. Giordana Giordanno, a criminal defense attorney with a specialty in plea bargains. I will begin my research by gathering data on plea agreements that are actively drafted to evaluate the reasons for its ease of access within the judicial system. Much extensive research has already been done on plea bargains but it falls within two categories that are quite separate from each other. One category focuses on helping victims by not letting criminals get off easy just because they chose to plea. The other half views plea bargains as a quick way to solve cases by cutting corners and not giving people the true right of defense. I hope my project will synthesize these two arguments while simultaneously considering reasons for why it’s beneficial. The primary goal of my research is so I could create a full and more just argument for bettering the system. Thank you for reading and if you’d like to know more, here is my senior project proposal.