ADJUDICATION:
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Anyone accused of a crime shall be represented by an attorney who has the qualifications, resources, and time to thoroughly explore the circumstances surrounding the crime and advocate for the defendant. This is true whether the crime is considered violent or nonviolent and whether it is resolved by trial or plea agreement.
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The justice system shall understand and consider the individual’s background and accomplishments, as well as the mitigating circumstances of the crime as thoroughly as they understand and consider the aggravating circumstances.
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No plea agreement shall occur without negotiations that are done with an engaged and competent attorney, in a manner that does not result in harm to any other defendant, and includes the judge.
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Anyone who refuses to negotiate a plea agreement and is subsequently tried and convicted shall not be sentenced to a longer term than was offered in negotiations.
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The defendant shall not appear in court in shackles, restraints, or jail “uniform.”
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Any action that results in the deprivation of an individual’s liberty shall be decided based only upon the beyond a reasonable doubt standard.
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There shall be no loss of voting rights as a result of a criminal conviction.
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The criminal prosecution system shall consider evidence of someone’s innocence, regardless of when that evidence becomes available and whether or not the court process or representation was flawed.