First, you have the problem that legislators have to outdo themselves in their "tough on crime" poses, leading to ever more draconian laws and potential sentences. Don't see a trivial way out of that apart from changing the political climate, but it's probably the biggest factor. Without the risk of completely out-of-whack penalties, the leverage of prosecutors diminishes.
'"We now have an incredible concentration of power in the hands of prosecutors," said Richard E. Myers II, a former assistant United States attorney who is now an associate professor of law at the University of North Carolina. He said that so much influence now resides with prosecutors that "in the wrong hands, the criminal justice system can be held hostage."'
Of course, the media could help by not hyping "ever increasing" criminality, which isn't true. Crime levels have been dropping not just in recent times, but pretty much throughout history, and are at historically unprecedented lows. Civic activism/awareness?
Adjust the incentives for prosecutors. Make these sorts of convictions and/or pleas less positive and/or drastically increase the disincentives for shenanigans that are found out.
EDIT: Have prosecutors, as public servants, be responsible for finding the truth, not for getting convictions. It is in the public's interest to get to the truth, not to convict or force guilty pleas of innocents.
First, you have the problem that legislators have to outdo themselves in their "tough on crime" poses, leading to ever more draconian laws and potential sentences. Don't see a trivial way out of that apart from changing the political climate, but it's probably the biggest factor. Without the risk of completely out-of-whack penalties, the leverage of prosecutors diminishes.
'"We now have an incredible concentration of power in the hands of prosecutors," said Richard E. Myers II, a former assistant United States attorney who is now an associate professor of law at the University of North Carolina. He said that so much influence now resides with prosecutors that "in the wrong hands, the criminal justice system can be held hostage."'
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/26/us/tough-sentences-help-pr...
Of course, the media could help by not hyping "ever increasing" criminality, which isn't true. Crime levels have been dropping not just in recent times, but pretty much throughout history, and are at historically unprecedented lows. Civic activism/awareness?
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/books/review/the-better-an...
Reduce or eliminate plea bargains. Justice should be justice, not a grimy barter deal. The ratio of guilty pleas to verdicts is now 30:1(!)
http://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?artic...
Adjust the incentives for prosecutors. Make these sorts of convictions and/or pleas less positive and/or drastically increase the disincentives for shenanigans that are found out.
EDIT: Have prosecutors, as public servants, be responsible for finding the truth, not for getting convictions. It is in the public's interest to get to the truth, not to convict or force guilty pleas of innocents.