Why do people who are innocent plead guilty

There are still very good reasons why guilty people plead not guilty in these types of situations.Trials are expensive, even when the evidence is strong.It's no wonder 95 percent of all defendants accept plea offers.Some respondents cited the cost of.We aren't able to appropriately sort the innocent and the guilty at the beginning of a case.Any defendant who wants to plead guilty must appear before a judge and answer a series of questions intended to convince the judge that the defendant is entering his plea voluntarily, and of his own free will.

Presumably they did so because, even though they were innocent.Defendants in federal cases face life changing choices once they have been charged, plead guilty and take a less severe penalty, or exercise their right to a trial and risk years.This post was published on the now.Why do people plead guilty?After pleading guilty to a charge, be it speeding or theft, the punishment is decided by the judge.People accused of crimes are often offered five years by prosecutors or face 20 to 30 years if they go to trial.

It is thus a type of mitigating factor in sentencing.Ideally, a defendant enters a plea only after discussing his case with his lawyer.