Plea deals coerce the innocent
Many argue prosecutors protect careers and win rates by pressuring people into plea deals, with personal stories of being railroaded or fighting charges despite clear evidence of innocence.
Fix incentives, not just people
Others say the problem is metrics and public tough-on-crime sentiment that reward convictions, and propose reforms like capping trial sentences at the plea offer or penalizing malicious prosecution.
Petty crime and fare evasion debate
A long tangent argues whether small crimes and fare jumping should be prosecuted, and whether free public transit helps or harms safety and funding.