Why Would a Judge Accept Recommendations from Prosecutors, Probation Officers

Multiple Choice

Why would a judge accept recommendations from prosecutors, probation officers, and defense counsel, their "courtroom work group," when making decisions in the courtroom?

A) They rarely accept recommendations because they are usually more informed about the case than other members of the courtroom work group.
B) They are required to do so by law.
C) They may be negatively sanctioned if they ignore the informal advice of the courtroom work group.
D) They accept input in order to avoid doing independent research on the legal issues involved in the case.