

Why Innocent People Plead Guilty (2014) - sergeant3
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2014/nov/20/why-innocent-people-plead-guilty/

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FroshKiller
I was charged with a felony (unauthorized access of a government computer)
back in 2004. I had just graduated from college and was looking for steady
work. I faced some pressure from friends and family to plea bargain even
though I was innocent simply because they feared I'd be found guilty at trial
by a jury that couldn't understand the case. Happily, the DA wised up and
dismissed the charges eventually, but it took years and caused me a lot of
personal difficulty. It's a damn shame on the criminal justice system that
innocent people should so fear wrongful conviction that they'd meet it
halfway. I was prepared to fight, but I don't begrudge anyone who would choose
differently for themselves and their loved ones.

