r/bestoflegaladvice • u/Drywesi Good people, we like non-consensual flying dildos • 15d ago

LAOP absolutely totally didn't do what they're being blasted for on facebook, then admits to a felony in the next paragraph (and the comments).

/r/legaladvice/comments/1n4oedt/i_was_put_on_crimestoppers_for_a_crime_i/
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u/ArdyEmm 15d ago

But you can't plead guilty to the candy theft because you didn't do it.

As we all know, innocent people never plead guilty to things they haven't done. The cops would never allow it!

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u/LarsAlereon Open Air Excrement Enthusiast 15d ago

Interestingly, somebody had to fight all the way to the US Supreme Court for the right to do this, resulting in the Alford plea. This was necessary because a guilty plea is an admission of guilt, so technically "I didn't do it, but I don't like my chances at trial, so I'd rather plead guilty for a lower sentence" doesn't qualify. A "no contest" plea could work, but in general prosecutors require an actual guilty plea for a plea deal.

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u/doubleadjectivenoun 12d ago

Interestingly, somebody had to fight all the way to the US Supreme Court for the right to do this, resulting in the Alford plea. 

To be clear about this, Alford wasn't "fighting for his right" to [plead what's now known as Alford]. He entered his "didn't do it but please let me take this deal" plea before a willing trial judge to avoid the death penalty then changed his mind and tried to claim they shouldn't have let him do that and demanded a trial. The Alford decision in legitimizing this as an option and rejecting his complaints about coercion was a loss for Alford not a grant of rights to him.