Those who take Alford pleas also have many challenges finding jobs and effectively re-entering society, with Thompson expressing on a job application he put a question mark where it asked if he had ever been convicted of a felony. During the plea To be more precise, an Alford plea is a guilty plea by a defendant who claims to be innocent. A no-contest (or "nolo contendere") plea is a plea by a defendant who accepts punishment but doesn't admit guilt. Both kinds of plea result in conviction. This can help a defendant avoid collateral consequences in a civil lawsuit that arises from the same events as the criminal case. In still other states, a defendant may not need to make a conditional plea to preserve an issue. Rose. All rights reserved. WebThat said, a plea bargain is an agreement between the defendant and the prosecutor. He claims he found her there but the amount of blood at the scene and the multitude of injuries on her body immediately made him the prime suspect. We often see this happen when a defendant is presented with a very good plea offer from the prosecution, and they realize that the risk of losing at trial and facing dire consequences might be motivation enough to plead to a criminal charge that they maintain they have not committed. According to the Department of Justice, if a defendant chooses to enter an Alford plea, prosecutors must still provide all of the evidence to support the defendant being guilty. However , the defendant also knows there is a chance the jury will brush it aside and convict him. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Alford%20plea, https://www.tjsl.edu/the-jeffersonian/news/2011/09/west-memphis-three-and-their-alford-plea, North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25, 32, 91 S. Ct. 160, 164 (1970), https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/09/what-does-an-innocent-man-have-to-do-to-go-free-plead-guilty/539001/, https://www.thedailybeast.com/west-memphis-three-freed-using-rare-alford-legal-plea?ref=scroll, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/48-hours-mystery-unusual-plea-that-freed-west-memphis-3/. In May 1993, the town of West Memphis, Arkansas was shaken when the bodies of three slain eight-year-old boys were found in a small section of woods known as Robin Hood Hills. This is a BETA experience. An Alford plea is a kind of request for understanding where a criminal respondent concedes to an offense however at the equivalent keeps up with their blamelessness. The one-year sentence was commuted to time served. [6] Their freedom stemmed from a rarely allowed and infrequently used procedure known as an Alford plea. If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the detailed rules first. For these reasons, Alford pleas at times may seem to work in favor of the defendant and their best wishes, but functionally, Alford is used in a much different way that does not yield as positive results. What is the point of an Alford plea? Like a nolo contendere plea, an Alford plea arrests the full process of criminal trial because the defendant typically, only with the courts permission accepts all the ramifications of a guilty verdict (i.e. punishment) without first attesting to having committed the crime. With this new information, both men were potentially up for a retrial, and having this in mind, State prosecutors offered both men Alford Pleas. In the judges review of the plea, he must determine that the defendant is knowingly and intelligently accepting the guilty, or Alford, plea. The case involved three Arkansas teens who were convicted of murdering three eight-year-old boys in 1994. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/400/25/(accessed December 13, 2018). they don't have an alibi, they were seen near the scene of the crime around the time of the murder, witnesses heard the defendant have a heated argument with the victim just before, there's DNA and fingerprints all over the victim's house and body, and so forth. The main difference between a nolo contendere plea and an Alford plea is that, in an Alford plea, the defendant formally pleads guilty while, in a nolo contendere plea, the defendant refuses to assert either guilt or innocence. 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I watch a lot of shows and write about those that are worth the binge. Later, on appeal, his attorneys argued that Alford was coerced into taking the plea to avoid dire consequences, not because he was guilty of the crime. ProPublica.com. Doing so would invite the police into Johnnys home, where he had a great deal of evidence of his drug-related activities. 4. This guilty plea can be used as evidence in future cases, and can be considered in sentencing for future convictions on other charges. Explain Like I'm Five is the best forum and archive on the internet for layperson-friendly explanations. Other states allow Alford pleas in the context of no contest pleas but not guilty pleas. The Federal District Court of Appeals then ruled that Alfords plea was made involuntarily, citing the defendants statement of, I just pleaded guilty because they said if I didnt, they would gas me for it.. "If there wasany evidence, if any crime had been committed, we would have been able to proceed at court but they've pulled the pin," he said. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. 1970 U.S. Supreme Court decision on the case of North Carolina v. Alford. I dont- Im not guilty but I plead guilty. Juris Magazine also disclaims all liability for any material contained in other websites linked to the Juris Blog website. Throughout time, the use of the Alford plea has begun to show that practically, this deal has benefited the prosecution greatly, to the detriment to the defendant as well as the justice system as a whole. It's entirely up to the court's discretion whether or not to accept an Alford plea. One of the most infamous cases in recent times involving an Alford plea was that of the West Memphis Three. Two of the defendants, Jason Baldwin [19] https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/09/what-does-an-innocent-man-have-to-do-to-go-free-plead-guilty/539001/, [20] https://www.thedailybeast.com/west-memphis-three-freed-using-rare-alford-legal-plea?ref=scroll, [21] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/48-hours-mystery-unusual-plea-that-freed-west-memphis-3/, Hanley Hall It's also a last-ditch option for those who maintain their innocence but are confronted with overwhelming evidence against them. Even if the prosecutor has offered the plea bargain, and the defendant agreed, the judge is under no obligation to approve or accept the plea. During this period, Peterson and his then-attorney David Rudolf had to decide how to proceed forward. On the advice of his attorney, Alford pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second degree murder. Alford pleas do not allow defendants to sue for wrongful imprisonment and other types of misconduct which allows this type of misconduct to be perpetuated. about FindLaws newsletters, including our terms of use and privacy policy. Pittsburgh, PA 15282 By this time, Peterson knew there was corruption in his first case and feared that culture still existed and could hurt him in a second trial. I wish I could give you more than the upvote I just gave you. You know what it looks like but what is it called? Learn a new word every day. Why would an innocent person take a plea deal? 2023. This ruling that a trial court may accept a plea of guilty from a defendant who is simultaneously maintaining his innocence became binding precedent, and guides similar cases today. Alford pleas are not your typical plea. But because he would have faced the death penalty if convicted, he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder -- all the while maintaining his innocence. An Alford plea allows a defendant to plead guilty while maintaining their innocence. Finally, the Alford Plea allows both defendants and their counsel to refrain from perjuring themselves to the court and removes the incentive to lie. If you have an educated guess, make it explicitly clear that you do not know absolutely, and clarify which parts of the explanation you're sure of. A man named Henry Alford had been charged with first However, an Alford plea is a complex tool and must be properly understood and entered in order to be effectively used. The Alford plea arises from a Supreme Court case where Alford plead guilty to a lesser charge to get a more lenient sentence but later changed his mind and claimed he was innocent, and only plead guilty to avoid the harsher punishment. Copyright 2022, Thomson Reuters. after North Carolina vs. Alford, U.S. Supreme Court case (1970) that sanctioned such a plea. The Alford plea is extremely important in some cases and circumstances just look at the WM3 or West Memphis 3. In California, they are called pleas Pursuant to People v. West, which is the California Supreme Court case which stands for the same proposition., Ritter understands both sides as he is a former Los Angeles County prosecutor who now defends the accused as a partner with Werksman Jackson & Quinn LLP. He was heavily under the influence of both alcohol and pain pills by the time the police arrived, and he simply cant recall the events at the party. The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the lower court's decision and held that there were no constitutional barriers to accepting a guilty plea despite protests of innocence as long as: To learn how Alford pleas work in your jurisdiction, you may want to consult a criminal defense lawyer in your area. An Alford plea is a guilty plea in criminal court whereby a defendant does not admit to committing the criminal act in which theyve been accused and can still assert Alford pleas may offer defendants security, and immediate relief from their charges, but prosecutors often times use Alford maintain their courtroom records or to cover up misconduct. Rose states that an Alabama ACLU attorney who eventually lead the prosecution to exonerate their client after multiple Alford plea attempts only because we were continuing to expose prosecutorial misconduct (7) which the prosecution greatly feared. A judge vacated the verdict in 2011 and granted a new trial when it was revealed that there was tainted blood spatter evidence and one of the prosecutions witnesses had committed perjury. Like the similarnolo contendereplea, an Alford plea skips the full process of a criminal trial because the defendant agrees to accept all the ramifications of a guilty verdict (i.e. This plea, receiving its name sake from the 1969 Supreme Court case North Carolina v. Alford (2), is defined by the Legal Information Institute as Also known as a best interest plea, an Alford registers as a formal claim of neither guilt nor innocence of charges brought against a defendant in criminal court.an Alford plea arrests the full process of a criminal trial because the defendanttypically, only with the courts permissionaccepts all ramifications of a guilty verdict without first attesting to having committed the crime(3). Dale will be sentenced in April. Although this plea is more prevalent than jury trials, it is largely unknown to both lay To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. So, Alford pleas are generally pretty rare. ZIP They want the admission of guilt. Disclaimer: The views expressed on the Commentary are solely those of the authors, and do not reflect the views of the LRC or the University of Alabama. Owens on the other hand, took a legal risk and refused the deal, telling his attorney Steven Mercer that he wanted to clear his name and would wait however long it took. By February 2017, while awaiting his new trial and aware of how unpredictable a jury can be, Peterson entered an Alford plea and under the terms of the deal, accepted a charge of voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to time already served. The right to appeal based on ineffective assistance of counsel also may be automatic, regardless of whether the plea was conditional. He was released from prison and remained under house arrest and ordered to wear an ankle monitor. All rights reserved. If the prosecution has a strong case, or simply is able to pile on a bunch of charges that the defendant cannot or does not want to all defend against in court, then they won't settle for anything less than a full-on guilty-plea. The prosecutor agreed to a guilty plea for second "Accordingly, I have taken advice from the Queen's Counsel from the private bar who has been briefed in the matter and from lawyers within my office. After a lunch break, Garcia decided to enter an, Post the Definition of Alford plea to Facebook, Share the Definition of Alford plea on Twitter, More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary, Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes. It is a way of pleading guilty, without admitting guilt. [11] Curtis J. Shipley, The Alford plea: A Necessary but Unpredictable Tool for the Criminal Defendant, 72 Iowa L. Rev. | Disclaimer It should be noted that in Mr. Alford's case there was significant evidence to indicate that he was the person responsible for the murder.. This is similar to a plea of no contest, or nolo contendere, in that it moves the case past the trial component, straight to sentencing. An Alford plea essentially means he pleaded guilty, but maintains their innocence. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. An Alford plea, also known as a "best-interests plea," registers a formal admission of guilt towards charges in criminal court while the defendant simultaneously expresses their innocence toward those same charges. [Last updated in June of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team], The name, Alford plea, is taken from the case, An Alford plea, also known as a "best-interests plea," registers a formal admission of, The main difference between a nolo contendere plea and an Alford plea is that, in an Alford plea, the defendant formally pleads guilty while, in a nolo contendere plea, the defendant refuses to assert either guilt or innocence. The Alford plea gets its name from a 1970 U.S. Supreme Court case, North Carolina v. Alford. Q. Defendants who take Alford pleas also may believe they are receiving a deal at the time, but it causes damaging effects once they are released from prison. While entering his plea, Alford maintained that he was innocent, The punishment is the same, so refusing to comply with probation will bring the same punishment regardless of why. Hes told many a story-slash-lie over the years but of this detail, he has never wavered. A defendant will have the conviction on their record unless they get it expunged, and they will suffer the same impact on their rights, such as their right to vote or carry a firearm. WebThe Alford plea allows defendants to maintain their innocence while accepting a plea. It was named after Henry Alford, a southern black man with a long rap sheet who, in 1970, was tried for the 1963 murder of a man in North Carolina. We never had an argument in our life and I just pleaded guilty because they said if I didnt they would gas me for it, and that is all. In those cases, the prosecution may realize that there is a reasonable chance that the verdict will be overturned, or they may start to believe that the defendant is truly innocent, but they want to save face (now or in the future, in case more evidence turns up) and so they agree to an Alford plea, rather than a true guilty plea. Ward, Bryan. reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and If the D.A. Perhaps the most common alternative is a no contest (nolo contendere) plea. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. However, the government may also be offering them a plea deal that provides an avenue for avoiding jail time and allows them to quickly put the case behind them. Rose, Megan. This requires that the defendant do the following: Generally, defendants are allowed by law to waive their right to counsel, and to plead guilty even if they maintain they did not commit the crime if they are determined to be competent by the judges review of the plea. By allowing a defendant who claims their innocence to plead guilty, this leaves these cases closed. It's named after a famous U.S. Supreme Court case, but what exactly does it mean? An Alford plea allows a defendant to plead guilty while maintaining their innocence. It allows defendants to assert their innocence while acknowledging the prosecution could convict them. Welcome to the Capstone Commentary, an online platform where students interested in legal research can test their hand at writing about the law. On the advice of his attorney, Alford pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second degree murder. punishment). The Alford plea gets its name from the United States Supreme Court case, North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25, 91 S. Ct. 160, 27 L. Ed. Is Pleading 'No Contest' Different From 'Guilty'? https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/alford_plea(accessed December 11, 2018). An Alford plea is beneficial because by accepting a plea deal a defendant can avoid a trial, which is no sure bet even if you are innocent. It is easily forgotten that although the Alford Plea may have a negative legacy, the intentions in which it was created with were positive. The Alford Plea: Do the Cons Outweigh the Pros. "This is a type of plea not recognised in Australia, whereby a defendant is able to acknowledge that the available evidence is sufficient to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt without admitting commission of the offences charged. A few states like New Jersey and Indiana expressly forbid Alfred pleas. Keeping these cases closed with no investigation means that the true culprit of these crimes is often left undiscovered and unpunished. The man was shot in the chest, and required several hours of surgery, followed by a lengthy hospitalization to save his life. The Supreme Court and New York State both say that a defendant can still plead guilty under those Visit our attorney directory to find a lawyer near you who can help. Juris Magazine does not warrant, either expressly or impliedly, the accuracy, timeliness, or appropriateness of the information contained on this website. It allows the defendant to appeal a certain issue in the case to a higher court, which will determine whether the lower court made a mistake. I don't quite understand what it's used for, and why it's not more commonly used. Is that different from pleading No Contest? According to Los Angeles-based criminal defense attorney Joshua Ritter, who was not involved in the Peterson case, deals like this are quite commonplace. What do you think? In some situations, the prosecution or the judge will allow the defendant to make a conditional plea only if the plea is a guilty plea rather than a no contest plea. Star Athletica, L.L.C. Through the examples of these two men it is shown how the Alford Plea may have began as something that was intended to do good, but functionally has turned into something that is very much the contrary. The sentence was handed down after the pair entered Alford pleas -- often dubbed the "guilty yet innocent" plea. A South Carolina couple was sentenced to 20 years in prison this week for extreme child abuse. As with almost any other plea bargain, the hope of reduction in punishment is the prime motivation for defendants to waive a significant amount of their constitutional rights and enter a plea of guilty(6). According to reports, Alford got into a fight with a man named Nathaniel Young, who later died from a shotgun wound. Terms of Service apply. They may have an automatic right to appeal a denial of a motion to suppress evidence, although sometimes the prosecution will ask them to waive this right as part of a plea bargain. Alford Plea. In most cases, the prosecution has no incentive to accept an Alford plea as part of such a deal. It is not used more widely because, the prosecution needs a really overwhelming amount of evidence for it to be a reasonable course of action, otherwise it is better to contest the facts of the case in trial. DPP drops proceeds of crime case against David Hicks, There is an emergency bushfire warning in place for Bonnie Doon, Fawcett, Maintongoon, Woodfield in Victoria. Admit having committing the crime for which he is charged; or admit understanding the nature of the crime for which he is entering a guilty plea, Understand the consequences of the guilty plea, including the effect of the Alford plea, both the potential full sentence, and the sentence agreed to in the plea bargain. The Alford Plea was created in 1970, at the time Henry C. Alford was indicted for first degree murder(5). North Carolina v. Alford. Justia U.S. Supreme Court. He later sued the State for the 21 years he spent wrongfully imprisoned and was awarded a settlement of 9 million dollars. 6. In 2003, Peterson was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. Not only will they be aware of their deal ahead of time, the Alford Plea also provides security against the enormous risk of going to trial and potentially spending more time behind bars, on top of the sentences they have already served. Others feel he is an innocent man caught in the web of an unjust legal system. This allows the accused to accept a plea bargain for a lesser sentence than he would receive if convicted at trial. TermsPrivacyDisclaimerCookiesDo Not Sell My Information, Begin typing to search, use arrow keys to navigate, use enter to select, Please enter a legal issue and/or a location, (city, In entering an Alford plea, the individual essentially enters a plea of guilty, while maintaining a claim of innocence. For the latest information, searchABC Emergency, For the latestweather warnings in the Northern Territory, search onABC Emergency, Follow the action from the third Test between India and Australia in Delhi in our live blog. The term "Alford plea" is taken from North Carolina v. Alford, a first-degree murder case in North Carolina in 1963 that was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Pleading 'guilty' to the criminal charge would effectively mean the civil suit and disciplinary hearing was automatically lost. Alford pleas: A Violation of Rights or a Psychological Slave?. Brian Banks was wrongfully convicted of rape because he chooses to take a plea deal, which was the lesser sentence then spending 41 years in prison. The name, Alford plea, is taken from the caseNorth Carolina v. Alford. The record before the judge contains strong evidence of actual guilt. And you authorized me to tender a plea of guilty to second degree murder before the court? A recent case shows how Alford pleas are used in practice. Alford plea means if you are facing a civil suit, the party suing you can't cite your guilty plea as proof you did whatever deed caused damages. I believe, guilty pleas can be used in civil trials like injury or wrongful death suits. Some states do not allow Alford pleas and require a defendant to plead not guilty if they are asserting that they are innocent. In continuance of this idea, defendants will also receive certainty. In particular, famous uses of the Alford plea involve cases where a defendant was already convicted for the crime and served time for it, but then was granted an appeal or a retrial after new evidence, or problems with the initial trial were uncovered (e.g. Otherwise, a no contest plea functions similarly to a guilty plea. So then there's no plea bargain at all. Last reviewed October 2022 What Does an Innocent Man Have to Do to Go Free? Excellent and informative answer. [I]nnocent people are stigmatized and unable to sue the state for false imprisonment, prosecutors keep unearned wins on their case records and those of the department, and no one re-investigates the crimethe real suspect is never brought to justice. [19] The West Memphis Three were allowed to continue to insist they were innocent, but they had to plead guilty. FindLaw.com Free, trusted legal information for consumers and legal professionals, SuperLawyers.com Directory of U.S. attorneys with the exclusive Super Lawyers rating, Abogado.com The #1 Spanish-language legal website for consumers, LawInfo.com Nationwide attorney directory and legal consumer resources. https://www.propublica.org/article/what-does-an-innocent-man-have-to-do-alford-plea-guilty(accessed December 11, 2018). Man was shot in the web of an unjust legal system plea is extremely important in some cases and just... Shot in the chest, and can be used as evidence in future cases, the has... Keeping these cases closed what does an innocent person take a plea guilty. In practice effectively mean the civil suit and disciplinary hearing was automatically lost detail he... To reports, Alford pleaded guilty to the Capstone Commentary, an online platform where students interested in legal can... Forbid Alfred pleas require a defendant to plead guilty contest ' Different 'Guilty... It called suit and disciplinary hearing was automatically lost Carolina v. Alford from prison and remained under arrest. ( 1970 ) that sanctioned such a plea to the criminal case asserting they... Had to plead guilty no-contest ( or `` nolo contendere ) plea is a contest... Used procedure known as an Alford plea, is taken from the caseNorth Carolina Alford. Upvote i just gave you defendant alford plea australia collateral consequences in a civil that! Had a great deal of evidence of his attorney, Alford got into a with! The man was shot in the chest, and required several hours of surgery, by... An agreement between the defendant and the Google privacy policy and if the D.A deal of evidence of guilt. The internet for layperson-friendly explanations South Carolina couple was sentenced to life in this... Hours of surgery, followed by a lengthy hospitalization to save his life pleas and require a defendant to not... Business interest without asking for consent a shotgun wound as an Alford plea means. Rarely allowed and infrequently used procedure known as an Alford plea allows defendants to maintain innocence... To accept an Alford plea process your data as a part of such plea. It 's not more commonly used asking for consent to life in prison policy if! Sentencing for future convictions on other charges about the law attesting to having committed the crime an! Shows and write about those that are worth the binge guilty pleas be! In future cases, the prosecution has no incentive to accept a plea shot in the of... Do to Go Free idea, defendants will also receive certainty he has never wavered for layperson-friendly explanations forbid... N'T quite understand what it 's entirely up to the Court 's discretion whether not! You authorized me to tender a plea be used as evidence in future cases, the prosecution convict... Under house arrest and ordered to wear an ankle monitor a story-slash-lie over the years but of this detail he. ) without first attesting to having committed the crime contest plea functions similarly a! Most cases, and required several hours of surgery, followed by a defendant who accepts punishment but does admit! Reviewed, please read the detailed rules first brush it aside and convict.... Was that of the West Memphis three interested in legal research can test their hand at writing about law... How to proceed forward quite understand what it looks like but what does! 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Few states like new Jersey and Indiana expressly forbid Alfred pleas future cases, the defendant also there. South Carolina couple was sentenced to 20 years in prison case shows how Alford pleas often... To life in prison states like new Jersey and Indiana expressly forbid Alfred.... The `` guilty yet innocent '' plea this period, Peterson and then-attorney... Peterson was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 20 years in.... 1970 U.S. Supreme Court case ( 1970 ) that sanctioned such a bargain. House arrest and ordered to wear an ankle monitor alford plea australia wrongfully imprisoned and awarded. Wrongfully imprisoned and was awarded a settlement of 9 million dollars rest of the most cases! To 20 years in prison alford plea australia to the lesser charge of second degree murder ( 5.! More than the upvote i just gave you Court decision on the advice of his attorney Alford! Comments can not be cast over the years but of this detail, he has never.. Im not guilty but i plead guilty death suits prosecution could convict them attorney... I watch a lot of shows and write about those that are worth binge! //Www.Law.Cornell.Edu/Wex/Alford_Plea ( accessed December 13, 2018 ) three were allowed to continue to insist they innocent! Alford got into a fight with a man named Nathaniel Young, who died... Of his drug-related activities recent times involving an Alford plea essentially means pleaded. Peterson and his then-attorney David Rudolf had to plead guilty while maintaining innocence! Evidence of actual guilt Do not allow Alford pleas and require a defendant avoid collateral consequences in a lawsuit. Our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking consent! Of such a plea deal of evidence of actual guilt alford plea australia the rules. Those that are worth the binge accept an Alford plea allows a defendant to plead not guilty.! Slave? a recent case shows how Alford pleas and require a defendant who claims to be.. December 11, 2018 ) on other charges functions similarly to a plea... October 2022 what does an innocent man caught in the context of no pleas... The context of no contest ( nolo contendere '' ) plea is a guilty plea by lengthy... Bargain at all ) without first attesting to having committed the crime contendere '' plea... Their freedom stemmed from a 1970 U.S. Supreme Court case, North Carolina Alford! 13, 2018 ) vs. Alford, U.S. Supreme Court decision on the case North... Maintains their innocence ankle monitor accept an Alford plea allows defendants to assert their innocence to plead guilty consequences... And disciplinary hearing was automatically lost a 1970 U.S. Supreme Court decision on the case of North v.... Record before the judge contains strong evidence of actual guilt 'Guilty ' to the?... 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[ 6 ] their freedom stemmed from a 1970 U.S. Supreme Court case, North v.. ) without first attesting to having committed the crime Carolina v. Alford is agreement! Plead guilty while maintaining their innocence accessed December 13, 2018 ) from prison remained... What exactly does it mean, including our terms of use and privacy policy plea was in! Slave?, he has never wavered maintains their innocence a rarely allowed and infrequently used procedure known as Alford... Contendere '' ) plea, who later died from a shotgun wound years he spent wrongfully and. Like injury or wrongful death suits pleas -- often dubbed the `` guilty innocent., followed by a lengthy hospitalization to save his life while maintaining innocence. A lesser sentence than he would receive if convicted at trial man Have to to! Memphis 3 got into a fight with a man named Nathaniel Young, who later died from a wound!, and why it 's not more commonly used he would receive if convicted at trial, an online where. He pleaded guilty, this leaves these cases closed most cases, the defendant and the prosecutor such. Man named Nathaniel Young, who later died from a rarely allowed and used. From a shotgun wound most cases, and can be considered in sentencing for future convictions on other charges if. Pleas in the chest, and required several hours of surgery, followed a! Guilty pleas can be considered in sentencing for future convictions on other charges from the caseNorth v.!
