It's not about his guilt. It's not about this guy at all.
It's about the concept of "40 years or go home. Just say what we want to hear." that I find troubling.
What if they made the same deal to you, except you knew damn well you were innocent? Would you take their offer or take your chances with a jury?
Hypotheticals can always be troubling.
That’s why I pointed out the reality.
Not innocent? He assaulted the cop!
Now the hypothetical you speak of..yes, perhaps. But I’d rather be home to plot the retribution of those who faulted/framed me then rotting in stir....or perhaps planning a defense to exonerate myself.
You would “cut off your nose to spite your face”
I find it troubling that if the guy is obviously guilty of crimes that rate a 40 year sentence, that the DA offered letting him off with 19 months. How does that make sense either? The whole plea bargain game is a crock.
>>>What if they made the same deal to you, except you knew damn well you were innocent? Would you take their offer or take your chances with a jury?<<<
Especially since the judge is under no obligation to honor the terms of the plea.
Please keep sounding the alarm over this, because you are correct.
This “between a rock and a hard place” scenario is exactly what has been, and is continuing to happen to our citizens, one by one, across this formerly great nation. Citizens are charged and faced with an unreasonable number of years in prison, when they were innocent, often with eye witnesses documenting their innocence. Nevertheless, state attorneys proceed with bogus charges anyway. Why? It’s another “notch” on their belt, a resume enhancement. See what a tough prosecutor I am? Look at my record of accomplishment. I procured this many convictions/admissions of guilt.
Plea deals are offered when the prosecution KNOWS they have a WEAK case. They deliberately put the innocent (yes, innocent because they are innocent until proven guilty) in this no-win situation because they know 99% of people faced with this horrible choice will admit guilt when they are innocent, to avoid a worse fate.
It’s easy to pass this EVIL gov’t practice off as hypothetical when in fact it is “just another day at the office” for these gov’t attorneys who perpetrate these outrageous crimes against their fellow citizens.
Some may say “Oh, well citizens who know of examples of this happening should report it, or fight back.” That may hypothetically sound like a noble cause, but, when faced with a thoroughly corrupt system filled with corrupt people, sane people recognize the futility of proceeding with that expensive course of action.
There is a special place in hell for gov’t attorneys and everyone involved in the whole INjustice system, more accurately named the Legal System in this formerly free republic.
Now THAT is real pressure.
You're right that extreme plea-bargaining choices like this aren't what justice should be about. It's like picking which door has the Lady and which has the Tiger, not balancing guilt or innocence, or punishment versus court time.
I knew when I saw this question that we would get to see the usual dance in the "answer". :)
” What if they made the same deal to you, except you knew damn well you were innocent?”
He’s not innocent!. You make a bogus argument