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Judges get say on plea bargains

SJC allows deals to be shortened

By Martine Powers and John R. Ellement

 |  Globe Staff  

  January 12, 2012

The state’s highest court today gave judges the power to ignore prosecutors and impose shorter sentences in plea deals if the judge believes “justice may not have been done.’’ The Supreme Judicial Court also said prosecutors cannot back out of the deal once a judge alters the agreement. In two rulings, involving cases from Boston and Lawrence, the SJC split 6-1 in reaching its conclusions.

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