Why Would Someone Confess To A Crime He Didn't Commit?

avantvernacular · 2014-05-23T18:14:06+00:00

Hands still cuffed, you sit down in a cold, bleak room, under a fluorescent lamp, your orange jumpsuit the only contrast from the drab pallet. You wait. Five minutes. Ten. Fifteen. Thirty. Finally the door opens, startlingly you.

A man in a worn and wrinkled suit walks in. Bags under his eyes. Hair disheveled. You recognize him as your public defender. Getting a powerful defense attorney wasn't exactly an option when you could barely make rent.

"Coffee?" He asks.

"No thanks." You respond.

He places a styrofoam cup in front of you anyways, and sits down across from you, sipping another. He looks exhausted.

"You alight?" You ask.

"Didn't sleep much...don't worry about it."

After a brief silence, he sighs, places his face in his palms for a moment, then looks up at you.

"I talked to the DA."

"Are they going to let me go home soon?" You respond.

He looks down into his empty cup. "No." Then back at you, "They offering you a plea deal. Five years, plus four probation."

"But I didn't do it!" You snap back. You've said it so many times its like a reflex now.

"I know you didn't."

"So you're going to fight it, right?"

"I..." He stammers for a moment. "I can try."

"Try?" You angrily respond.

He breaths deep and slowly, then wets his lips with the last sips if coffee.

"Look." He says. "Here's the situation. You go to court you're going in front of a jury. You're not going to know those people, and they don't know you or care about you. That whole 'innocent until proven guilty' thing, they'll have forgotten that before the DA finishes his opening statement. Obviously there's not enough evidence to prove you did, but I don't have enough to prove you didn't either."

"So why not fight it?" You inquire.

He pauses briefly, then places his hand on the table in front of you. "When that jury sits down and looks at you, they're not going to see an innocent kid out of school who got mixed up in the wrong place at the wrong time. They're going to see a young black man from the hood. A gangster. A thug."

Then he gestures to his left, "and at the other table, they're going to see a scarred, hurt, crying victim, telling them all what a monster you are."

"That's not fair!" You blurt out.

"I know. Doesn't matter."

Your heart sinks into your stomach. You feel sick.

"Look, with good behavior you might be out as soon as three, but in that courtroom you're up against fifteen to twenty years. Maybe more."

He places his hand on yours. "I'm with you whatever you decide,and if you want to fight this thing I will, but we need to be realistic about your situation here."

You're too paralyzed by fear to respond.

He sits back for a few seconds, then gets up and walks over to the door.

"I'll be back tomorrow. Let me know know what you decide."

He opens the door and walks out, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

What do you do?

2014-05-23T15:27:56+00:00

Because they've been abused verbally, physically, by neglect of basic human needs such as food, water, hygiene. Broken down till their resolve is gone.

Threatened with never seeing the light of day ever again for a crime they didnt commit.

But then they offer them a ray of hope you see, cop a guilty plea and we'll reduce your sentence, it'll look good if you confess early, judges love that! Fight us, and we'll make sure you're convicted for a 30 stretch.

Work with us and be out in 10.

And a lot will believe that they truely are THIS fucked and say 10 is better than 30, and confess.

Brian Banks i believe was done precisely this way

Gstreetshit · 2014-05-23T16:38:09+00:00

Police State

Title	Why Would Someone Confess To A Crime He Didn't Commit?
Author	ugly_duck
Upvotes	7
Comments	3
Date	May 23, 2014 1:05 PM UTC (12 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/26amk3/why_would_someone_confess_to_a_crime_he_didnt/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/why-would-someone-confess-to-a-crime-he-didnt.1000383 https://theredarchive.com/post/1000383

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