Idaho Plea Deal Reveals Limits of Victims’ Influence in Justice System

The recent development in the tragic University of Idaho murder case exposes a troubling reality about the criminal justice system: victims and their families often have little real power over plea bargains that determine a defendant’s fate.Bryan Kohberger, charged with the brutal stabbing deaths of four students in November 2022, has agreed to plead guilty, but at least one victim’s family vehemently opposes any deal that removes the death penalty option. This clash lays bare the structural limitations victims face when prosecutors pursue resolutions they deem expedient.Victims’ Rights: Real or Illusion?The modern victims’ rights movement has made strides since the...