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Pandemic pushed defendants to plead guilty more often, including innocent people pleading to crimes they didn’t commit

  • Written by Shi Yan, Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University
Pandemic pushed defendants to plead guilty more often, including innocent people pleading to crimes they didn’t commitWhen people are held in jail, they're likely to accept quick release – even if it means admitting to something they didn't do.Caspar Benson via Getty Images

Despite a constitutional right to a jury trial, more than 94% of criminal convictions in the United States result from guilty pleas, not jury verdicts. Even innocent people, those who did...

Read more: Pandemic pushed defendants to plead guilty more often, including innocent people pleading to...

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