Dark Pleas
Imagine that you’ve been in prison for decades for a crime you didn’t commit. You’ve maintained your innocence, but most people don’t believe you, including family and friends. You’ve been appealing your conviction since you lost your freedom, but every attempt has ended in failure.
Although your case seems to be getting stronger, the prosecution is not giving up. There is new evidence of your innocence and your lawyers think you will eventually win, but they are not the ones suffering behind bars. The process is dragging out as you wait to hear about a new trial. Even if the court grants it, there are no guarantees that you will go free. You are losing hope.
And then all of a sudden, the prosecution approaches your lawyers with a deal. They will let you go free, but there’s a catch: you have to admit you’re guilty. You didn’t do it, and the whole idea makes you sick, but this could be the only opportunity to go home. Would you take the “Dark Plea”?
In this episode, host Michael Semanchik sits down with Michael Donnelly, Associate Justice on the Ohio Supreme Court, and Joanna Sanchez, the Director of the Wrongful Conviction Project at the Ohio Public Defender’s Office. Together, they talk about the origin of Dark Pleas, how they are used, and their impact on the Criminal Justice System.
Special thanks to our sponsor Clio – Cloud-Based Legal Technology.
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