The fact is that "pleading not guilty" is statistically the "biggest" crime you can commit in much of the US (meaning the one you are likely to be punished for most severely). Which of course makes a mockery of most of the protections of the law.
"In some jurisdictions, this gap has widened so much it has become coercive and is used to punish defendants for exercising their right to trial, some legal experts say."
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This.
The fact is that "pleading not guilty" is statistically the "biggest" crime you can commit in much of the US (meaning the one you are likely to be punished for most severely). Which of course makes a mockery of most of the protections of the law.
See also:
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2014/nov/20/why-inn...
Or
"In some jurisdictions, this gap has widened so much it has become coercive and is used to punish defendants for exercising their right to trial, some legal experts say."
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/26/us/tough-sentences-help-pr...
We are going down that road here in the UK - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/crippling-court-c...