From the Marshall Project:
When someone is innocent of a crime, it seems safe to assume that that person would fight his case. But as the Associated Press pointed out, the opposite often happens. Out of 157 exonerations last year, 68 involved defendants who had pleaded guilty, a number that reflects just how overwhelmed our criminal justice system has become.
“For a long time, it was our country’s crown jewel, built on the principle that it was better that 10 guilty go free than one innocent be wrongfully convicted,” one defense attorney says. “Now sadly, the system accepts and even encourages innocent people to plead guilty.”
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