Goncalves Family Blasts 'Spineless' Prosecutor, Begs Judge to Reject Kohberger Deal

2:40 PM PT -- The family of Kaylee Goncalves has now turned its ire toward the judge in the case, who accepted Bryan Kohberger's plea deal -- despite some of the victims' families being staunchly against it.

The family said in a statement to TMZ ... "The plea started off with a Judge who was angry about people reaching out to him and then went further to stand on his soapbox stating nothing affects his decisions in this case or any other case and he has not and will not read any comments. Maybe that wasn’t the best way to start a plea involving the murder of 4 Idaho college students. Our hope is that the Judge might reflect back on his decisions today and take the high road next time and not make the plea of a murderer about him and his decisions."

Accused quadruple-murderer Kohberger is set to formally accept a highly controversial plea deal to avoid the death penalty in Idaho ... and one victim's family just completely pulverized the county prosecutor for "cutting a deal with the devil."

The family of Kaylee posted a scathing statement to Facebook mere hours before the plea hearing was to begin ... blasting Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Thompson for allowing Kohberger to plead guilty to four counts of first-degree murder ... in exchange for prosecutors taking the death penalty off the table and recommending life without the possibility of parole.

The lengthy statement reads in part ... "Cowardly men, gutless men, they scatter like roaches when the battle closes in. And Thompson? He’s retiring on this deal, his shadow slithering toward the exit, leaving only the stench of his betrayal."

It continues, "No spine, no shred of honor. He didn’t have the basic decency, the plain human courage, to face the families, to meet our eyes and ask, 'How do we make an offer that works?' Thompson robbed us of our day in court. No negotiations, no jury of our peers, not even the pretense of cooperation and fairness."

The family goes from there ... taking swing after swing at Thompson -- as you can see for yourself below -- and begs the judge to reject the plea deal, making way for a trial.

The Goncalves family have been perhaps the most outspoken of the families who oppose the plea deal ... going so far as to ask supporters to join them in requesting the feds to get involved, and thereby perhaps putting the death penalty back into play.