Week 1: The Start

Hello and welcome to my Senior Project Blog! The first week of my project has been sectioned off into two parts. The first half of the week was aimed at my independent research portion of the project. I did this by gathering sources regarding plea bargains through the Brooklyn Public Library and online databases like JSTOR. Once I read through each source I organized them into charts to highlight which authors positioned themselves either with or against the practice. By doing so I was able to find an overall discrepancy with scholars viewing the method of plea agreements as an overall negative aspect of the judicial system. Not only that but there was additionally a subsection of authors who disagreed on why plea bargains are such a problem of the judicial system. This subsection splits into authors claiming that it does not give people the right to a fair defense, and authors claiming that it does not deter criminals and establish enough justice. 

The second half of my week was spent discussing a schedule with my on-sight advisor and beginning my first day as an intern in the firm. Throughout the day I discussed the research I found while simultaneously aiding my advisor in clerical work around the office. Lastly, due to my advisor’s expertise in the field of plea bargains, I had an in depth discussion regarding her view of the practice and she suggested I read over her thesis on that very matter. I look forward to sharing my findings and updating my blog in the coming weeks!