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153 the coalition fighting to end the trial penalty
Despite being the bedrock of our criminal legal system, “the jury trial is an exceptional rather than a commonplace outcome.” Today, Hunter is joined by Martin Sabelli and Nathan Pysno to discuss somethings leading to the erosion of the jury trial. Specifically, they discuss how harsh sentences enable coercive plea bargaining and enshrine the “trial penalty”. Few if any other Constitutionally protected rights lead to a person being punished for using them, but the trial penalty is nothing more than punishing people for forcing the government to prove a person committed a crime at trial.