Traditional_Way1052 t1_j16p6s8 wrote on December 22, 2022 at 1:43 AM

Reply to comment by drpvn in New York City Unveils Gate of the Exonerated in Central Park Honoring Wrongly Convicted People by lifandigoosogn

A suspect in a burglary is told they are caught on camera and the only suspect. They didn't do it but take a plea deal which gives less time because they're terrified of the evidence they think exists, even if they know they only walked by at the wrong time.

Should they be compelled to take a plea deal for that reason?

drpvn t1_j16q46u wrote on December 22, 2022 at 1:50 AM

Nobody is compelled to take a plea deal.

But yes, I lean toward thinking that conduct by interrogators should remain legal.

PopEnvironmental1335 t1_j16rkb3 wrote on December 22, 2022 at 2:01 AM

Season 3 of Serial discusses at length how many people are basically coerced into taking a plea deal. A lawyer even went on record and said that judges get pissed if too many people choose a jury trial. The courts are so overloaded that there has to be a certain number of plea deals or else everything grinds to a halt. The system is designed to punish people who don’t plea guilty.

drpvn t1_j16rr41 wrote on December 22, 2022 at 2:02 AM

What about the other hypothetical I asked: Should an undercover cop be required to tell people that he’s a cop, or should he be allowed to lie about that?

PopEnvironmental1335 t1_j16shjc wrote on December 22, 2022 at 2:08 AM

I just wanted to give a resource where people can learn about why plea deals can be coercive

drpvn t1_j16t5d3 wrote on December 22, 2022 at 2:13 AM

Oh sorry; I thought you were the other guy.

PopEnvironmental1335 t1_j16tehz wrote on December 22, 2022 at 2:15 AM

Np it’s an interesting topic!

Traditional_Way1052 t1_j185lrw wrote on December 22, 2022 at 11:03 AM

Undercover is entirely different imo, the other guy.

Traditional_Way1052 t1_j185zrr wrote on December 22, 2022 at 11:08 AM

Are you aware what percentage of people go to trial? People can absolutely be compelled to take a plea deal; for financial reasons, for family reasons, for the sheer horror that is jail. If you aren't even going to acknowledge that possibility, I'm not sure it's worth discussing. It's absolutely coercive. It's designed that way.

Of course undercover is different, they're out in the wild so to speak. If you can't see how that's different, again, I think you're being disingenuous. They're two very different things.