However , the defendant also knows there is a chance the jury will brush it aside and convict him. In the instance of Owens own civil trial, it was uncovered that Owens attorney had not been made aware of Thompsons many changing stories (Thompsons testimony against Owens was a large part of his conviction) as well as other witnesses faltering testimony. The possibility of receiving a lessened sentence is something all defendants inherently desire. More often than not, a defendant who accepts a plea bargain will plead guilty to a charge. And you authorized me to tender a plea of guilty to second degree murder before the court? The man was shot in the chest, and required several hours of surgery, followed by a lengthy hospitalization to save his life. | Privacy She is charged with robbery and assault. v. Varsity Brands, Inc. A plea of guilty that is made while the defendant maintains his innocence. (Edit: innocent, not guiltykinda crucial). The Supreme Court took up the case to allow for these circumstances. Alford Plea. The case eventually made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which took on the decision of whether the trial court had committed a constitutional error in accepting Alfords guilty plea, even while he maintained his innocence. Netflix CLN s companion publication, PLN, previously reported on their case in December 2012. 6. In Alfords case, there had been enough evidence to build a strong case for his conviction, which would expose him to the death penalty. about FindLaws newsletters, including our terms of use and privacy policy. You may opt-out by. The Court ultimately ruled that the court could accept a guilty plea when the defendant was simultaneously claiming he was innocent. The Supreme Court and New York State both say that a defendant can still plead guilty under those Essentially, the defendant does not admit the act, but admits that the prosecution could likely prove the charge at trial. Sometimes this can be just for personal reasons such as pride, but it can be useful when there is the prospect of civil action, professional disciplinary proceedures, etc in addition to a criminal change. Terms of Service apply. 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. "The challenge also relied upon the fact that Mr Hicks entered what is known in the UnitedStates as an Alford plea," the statement said. 2d 162 (1970). He was sentenced to seven years' jail, all but nine months of which were suspended, and was transferred from Guantanamo to an Australian prison in 2007 to serve out his term, subject to a 12-month gag order. Otherwise, a no contest plea functions similarly to a guilty plea. [14] James W. Diehm, Pleading Guilty While Claiming Innocence: Reconsidering the Mysterious Alford plea, 26 U. Fla. J.L. Others feel he is an innocent man caught in the web of an unjust legal system. The man got into a loud argument with some of the partygoers, which soon turned into a brawl, and a gun went off. Ward, Bryan. The Alford plea would allow both men to say they were innocent, be immediately removed from jail, but would legally they would still remain guilty and carry this crime on their records. Copyright Duquesne University School of Laws Juris Magazine 2017. An Alford plea is essentially a no contest plea. What Does an Innocent Man Have to Do to Go Free? The crime is still on his record and he remains a convicted felon. Ratliff and Margaret (Ratliff) Blakemore. [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. This site is protected by An Alford plea allows a defendant to plead guilty while maintaining their innocence. An Alford plea allows a defendant to plead guilty while maintaining their innocence. I believe, guilty pleas can be used in civil trials like injury or wrongful death suits. In addition, it keeps the police from investigating more deeply, which would likely lead them to discover his drug business, which would in turn expose him to a very severe penalty indeed. 412.396.6300. Alford was offered a plea deal in which, if he pled guilty to second-degree murder, he would receive a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. "I feel like this acknowledges Guantanamo Bay and everything is illegal.". The Alford plea is named after the 1970 U.S. Supreme Court case North Carolina v. Alford. You must there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one thats only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary. Hed lost faith in the criminal justice system. [7], An Alford plea is a guilty plea entered by a criminal defendant who does not admit guilt but nevertheless pleads guilty as part of a plea bargain. [8] Steven Braga, a D.C. Attorney from Damiens defense team, said [t]he Alford plea was the only compromise I could come up with to try to bridge the gap between the States absolute refusal to drop the charges and the Threes absolute demand to maintain their innocence of crimes they did not commit. [9] Prosecuting attorney, Scott Ellington, saw the Alford plea as an opportunity to put the case of the West Memphis Three to rest. After being captured in Afghanistan and being held in Guantanamo Bay in 2001, the 35-year-old pleaded guilty to providing material support for terrorism. When any defendant enters a plea other than not guilty, the judge must review the case, and determine whether to accept the plea, and move on to sentencing. All rights reserved. The Director of Public Prosecutions has dropped a case against former Guantanamo Bay inmate David Hicks. (The name is based on a U.S. Supreme Court decision in which the Court ruled that this type of plea is constitutional.) What is an Alford plea? Welcome to the Capstone Commentary, an online platform where students interested in legal research can test their hand at writing about the law. During the plea On the advice of his attorney, Alford pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second degree murder. 644 Words3 Pages. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. 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. A man named Henry Alford had been charged with first A South Carolina couple was sentenced to 20 years in prison this week for extreme child abuse. https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/alford-pleas-a-violation-of-rights-or-psychological-salve/(accessed December 13, 2018). Effectively it's a way for a defendant to receive the benefits of an early plea (lesser sentence, lesser charge) without formally admitting guilt. Why would an innocent person take a plea deal? In a majority decision written by Justice White, the court stated that a defendant may use this plea when advised by a competent attorney, and when He concludes his interests required a guilty plea and the record strongly indicates guilt. 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. Atlanta rapper Gunna was released from the Fulton County Jail on Wednesday after pleading guilty to his part of a sweeping gang indictment that also includes rapper Young Thug. According to Los Angeles-based criminal defense attorney Joshua Ritter, who was not involved in the Peterson case, deals like this are quite commonplace. 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. But I have never had a client take an Alford plea. Avoiding this process may, in the end, reduce the defendants culpability, conviction, and sentencing for those acts. 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. Gunna, whose real name is Sergio Kitchens, entered a negotiated plea known as an Alford plea. 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. WebOther articles where Alford plea is discussed: West Memphis Three: Paradise Lost and prison release: maneuver is known as an Alford plea. Guilty Plea With No Admission of Guilt Like a nolo contendere plea, an Alford plea allows a criminal defendant to enter a guilty plea without admitting guilt. With this new information, both men were potentially up for a retrial, and having this in mind, State prosecutors offered both men Alford Pleas. Is that different from pleading No Contest? [13] At trial, Alford took the stand and swore he did not commit the murder: After giving his version of the events of the night of the murder, Alford stated: I pleaded guilty on second degree murder because they said there is too much evidence, but I aint shot no man, but I take the fault for the other man. Generally, if you plead guilty, you get a more lenient sentance than if you pled not guilty and went ahead with a long, costly trial. She was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in their Durham, North Carolina mansion. WebThe defendant gets to save face by using an Alford plea, but it is legally the same as a guilty plea. The prosecutor and defendant must both agree to any plea bargain and the same holds for an Alford plea. Often, a defendant may strongly maintain their innocence for several reasons, such as civil liability or simply their righteous indignation. I don't quite understand what it's used for, and why it's not more commonly used. 2023. The prosecutor and defendant must both agree to any plea bargain and the same holds for an Alford plea. Q [by Alfords attorney]. The Alford Plea: Do the Cons Outweigh the Pros. It's named after a famous U.S. Supreme Court case, but what exactly does it mean? We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Tweet. However, most prosecutors will not offer an Alford plea because it looks bad: "Hey! [3] Known by the moniker The West Memphis Three, they maintain their innocence. He is also the host of "True Crime Daily: The Sidebar Podcast. Juris Magazine disclaims any responsibility for content errors, omission, or infringing material and disclaims any responsibility associated with relying on information provided on this website. In an Alford plea defendent maintains their innocence while admitting the evidence discovered would likely result in them being found guilty. 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. Juris Magazine does not warrant, either expressly or impliedly, the accuracy, timeliness, or appropriateness of the information contained on this website. If the issue of whether or not the defendant will be charged with a third strike is not addressed directly by the plea bargain, there may be an ugly surprise at sentencing. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Rudolf gave his client three options: a no-contest plea, an Alford plea or a new trial. In still other states, a defendant may not need to make a conditional plea to preserve an issue. WebAn Alford plea is a type of plea agreement where a criminal defendant pleads guilty to an offense but at the same maintains his or her innocence. A few states like New Jersey and Indiana expressly forbid Alfred pleas. has its version, a 13-episode documentary series, and HBO Max has the scripted version starring Toni Collette and Colin Firth. 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.. [15] North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25, 32, 91 S. Ct. 160, 164 (1970). An Alford plea is a plea that may be entered by a defendant who has been charged with a crime. https://www.propublica.org/article/baltimore-to-pay-largest-settlement-in-city-history-, 9-million-to-man-wrongfully-convicted-of-murder(accessed December 11, 2018), 3. 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. He later sued the State for the 21 years he spent wrongfully imprisoned and was awarded a settlement of 9 million dollars. 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. Delivered to your inbox! 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. In 1963, Henry Alford was accused and charged with first-degree murder, which made him eligible for the death penalty in his state of North Carolina. Because Alford pleas are usually used in the context of a plea bargain. Now when we plead guilty, they set us free! Jason Baldwin. "If, at any stage in the conduct of legal proceedings by the office, there is a concern as to the sufficiency of available evidence, then the office will review the matter regardless of what stage the proceedings have reached in the court process. 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. The Alford plea is sometimes used in plea bargaining, as it allows the accused person to enter a plea recognizing that the prosecutions evidence would likely result in a conviction, even while maintaining he did not commit the crime. Not only can an Alford plea count as a strike in future cases, but if the defendant already has two strikes when he accepts the plea bargain, the strike may affect sentencing on the current case. 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. There, it may be in a defendants best interests to take an Alford plea. The defendant on the other hand knows that they were already convicted once and that this could happen again, and they are already in prison so they have nothing to lose and everything to gain by entering an Alford plea in exchange for their freedom. I always assumed an Alford plea would only be used in a case where there is evidence against the suspect but a catch. "In support of the challenge, the defendants served evidential material not previously available to the CDPP and AFP. Aggravating and Mitigating Factors in Criminal Sentencing, Withdrawing a Guilty Plea in a Criminal Case, Ineffective Assistance of Counsel in Plea Bargaining, No Contest Pleas, Conditional Pleas, and Alford Pleas in Criminal Cases, Receiving Immunity for Testimony in a Criminal Case, Expungement and Sealing of Criminal Records, The Mental State Requirement in Criminal Cases, Domestic Violence Restraining Orders Laws and Forms: 50-State Survey. The defendant thus may need to plead not guilty if they want to preserve the issue for appeal. The Supreme Court has allowed for a defendant to plead to a criminal charge while still maintaining their innocence. Generally, attorneys are instructed not to consent to Alford pleas except in the most unusual circumstances and only with the recommendation of assistant attorneys general. The Alford Plea would allow you to cut a deal with criminal prosecutors without the admission of guilt that could be used in civil trial. WebThe name, Alford plea, is taken from the case North Carolina v. Alford . Hicks's book was released last year and covers everything from hislife in Adelaide to his training with fundamentalist Islamic armed forces. Ellington said [i]t certainly was not a perfect resolution to the case for the state but it was much better than having three trials, trying to convince 36 jurors of the defendants guilt using old evidence, failed memories, changed minds, [and] dead witnesses. [10]. Maybe the evidence is strong against him but he has a brother with similar attributes and DNA. The Seattle Times. The Supreme Court ruled that since Alford was informed by his lawyers of the consequences of accepting the lesser charge, he could choose the lesser charge and face those punishments, even while claiming he was innocent. Feuer, Allen. Alford was offered a plea deal in which, if he pled guilty to second-degree murder, he would receive a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. 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. 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. Thompson, a desperate man who had served nearly 20 years in prison, took the plea and walked out of prison that same day(4). In this plea, the defendant does not admit the act and asserts innocence, but admits that Caitlin Atwater, Clayton Peterson, Kathleen Peterson, Michael Peterson, Todd Peterson, Martha [+] Ratliff and Margaret (Ratliff) Blakemore. Since it is a guilty plea, it's likely to show up on background checks. During the party, a man Johnny did not know showed up with one of Johnnys friends. https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/400/25/(accessed December 13, 2018). [2] The teenagers were tried and convicted: Damien Echols was sentenced to death, Jason Baldwin and Jesse Misskelley were sentenced to life in prison without the opportunity for parole. If they are charged after a car accident or an assault, for example, the victim of the accident or assault might bring a claim for personal injury damages. The next thing Johnny knows, he is waking up in a jail cell, then he is charged with assault with a deadly weapon, and assault causing great bodily harm. Many believe Peterson is guilty of murder. To save this word, you'll need to log in. "After careful consideration of all matters, including the advice received, I reached the view that this office was not in a position to discharge the onus placed upon it to satisfy the court that the admissions should be relied upon and decided that these proceedings should not continue.". This would expose her to a severe sentence. Johnson pointed a gun at officers from a rooftop as they monitored Jefferson Square in September 2020. Don't Panic! These developments were chronicled in Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (2011). NFLX Plead Guilty. He pleaded that he had been wrongfully accused, but people dont want to hear that(11). When someone is wrongfully convicted, taking an Alford plea may seem like a way out of a tragic situation. 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. One moose, two moose. One of the most infamous cases in recent times involving an Alford plea was that of the West Memphis Three. The name, Alford plea, is taken from the caseNorth Carolina v. Alford. 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. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/alford_plea(accessed December 11, 2018). Alfords defense attorney appealed his conviction, claiming that his client had been forced into entering a guilty plea for a crime he did not commit, because he was afraid of receiving the death penalty. [14], According to the Court, [o]rdinarily, a judgment of conviction resting on a plea of guilty is justified by the defendants admission that he committed the crime charged against him and his consent that judgment be entered without a trial of any kind. [15] However, it quantified that while most pleas of guilty consist of both a waiver of trial and an express admission of guilt, the latter element is not a constitutional requisite to the imposition of criminal penalty. [16] Therefore, a defendant may voluntarily, knowingly, and understandingly consent to the imposition of a prison sentence even if he is unwilling or unable to admit his participation in the acts constituting the crime. [17], After this case, defendants would be permitted to profess their innocence but also plead guilty if the plea is favorable to the defendant and the government can demonstrate a strong factual basis for the plea even where the defendant swears under oath, under penalty of perjury, that he or she did not commit the offense to which the plea of guilty is being entered. [18], The Alford plea has plenty of negative aspects. a grossly culpably negligent surgeon kills his patient on the operating table. This is not something the defendant just does, but something that would be offered as part of a plea bargain after discovery. & Pub. In the law of the United States, an Alford plea is a plea in criminal court. This distinction is relevant because unlike a nolo contendere plea, a formal. 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, [20], [1] https://famous-trials.com/westmemphis/2287-home, [7] https://www.tjsl.edu/the-jeffersonian/news/2011/09/west-memphis-three-and-their-alford-plea, [8] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Alford%20plea, [9] https://www.tjsl.edu/the-jeffersonian/news/2011/09/west-memphis-three-and-their-alford-plea. The DPP had argued the profits of his memoir, titled Guantanamo: My Journey, were the proceeds of crime. [20], When we told prosecutors we were innocent, they put us in prison for life. The Alford plea is named after the 1970 U.S. Supreme Court case North Carolina v. Alford. 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. The Alford plea came out of North Carolina v. Alford, where the Supreme Court of the United States held that judges do not violate due process by accepting guilty pleas from defendants who simultaneously assert their innocence. [11] In 1963, Henry Alford was indicted for first-degree murder, which at the time automatically called for the death penalty when the conviction followed a plea of innocence. Excellent and informative answer. Missouri Law Review Vol. There was a lot of strong evidence against Alford, and his criminal defense lawyer recommended a guilty plea. 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