Far from the image of LA Law, the New York City criminal courts sit 24 hours a day handling one million court appearances and 250,000 new defendants a year. But a defendant's fate hangs not upon the decision of a jury but on the outcome of discreet negotiations between his or her lawyer, the prosecution and the judge. These deals were off the record. Until now.
Currently under discussion for introduction to British courts, this system of "plea bargaining" means that for the majority of Americans the constitutional right to a trial by jury is a thing of the past. With comprehensive access to the New York criminal courts, Inside Story observes and records this system at work. What emerges is a frightening vision of the future where gun law rules the streets and justice is little more than social control.