It is generally thought that statements made in the course of plea bargaining are inadmissable if the deal collapses and the accused later goes to trial. In fact, Rule 410 of the South Carolina Rules of Evidence (SCRE) (which is substantially similar to its counterpart in the Federal Rules of Evidence(FRE) states that ” . . . a statement made during plea negotiations with a prosecuting authority, even if a guilty plea is not entered or is later withdrawn, is not admissible.”

The Supreme Court Database is a wonderful tool for tracking trends in U.S. Supreme Court decisions. This Database allows its users to analyze whether the Supreme Court is trending more “liberal” or more “conservative” on a variety of topics – including decisions relating to criminal procedure and the rights of the accused.