Opposition to Stacking Charges

WHEREAS, Prosecutors routinely "stack charges" against a defendant, thus building a very long potential prison sentence if convicted, and then approach the defendant with a "plea deal" that would result in a guaranteed, substantially reduced charge and sentence if the defendant agrees to plead guilty to the reduced offense; and 

WHEREAS, The stacking of charges has become standard practices to build such a horrifying potential sentence, that even actually innocent people will be intimidated into pleading guilty, rather than face what's called the "trial penalty " – a very scary long sentence if the defendant should somehow be convicted at trial; and   

WHEREAS, African Americans and other people of color are most likely to face arrest, and thereby be subjected to the stacking of charges. 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People stands opposed to prosecutors stacking charges. 

THEREFORE, BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NAACP units will actively advocate against policies and practices resulting in the stacking of charges by prosecutors at every level of government.