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Pleading Guilty: A Voluntary or Coerced Decision?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 December 2019

Chloé Leclerc Open the ORCID record for Chloé Leclerc [Opens in a new window]  and
Elsa Euvrard
Chloé Leclerc
Affiliation:
Université de Montréal, Criminologie, Montréal chloe.leclerc@umontreal.ca
Elsa Euvrard
Affiliation:
Université Laval, École de travail social et de criminologie, Québec elsa.euvrard@umontreal.ca
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Abstract

The empirical literature on plea decisions shows that rational motives and coercion may coexist, but there is uncertainty with regard to whether accused feel that their decision is voluntary or made under considerable pressure. However, in most jurisdictions, the legitimacy of the plea bargaining process rests on the Court’s obligation to ensure that the guilty plea is entered voluntarily and knowingly. This study proposes to understand how the accused interpret the rational or coercive elements of their decision-making process and the extent to which their decision to plead guilty is voluntary. Based on semi-structured interviews with twenty convicted individuals, we describe the different decision-making processes, from free and informed decisions to forced decisions to plead guilty while innocent.

Résumé

La littérature empirique montre que les motifs rationnels et la coercition peuvent coexister dans les décisions relatives à un plaidoyer de culpabilité. Une confusion persiste toutefois à savoir si l’accusé estime que sa décision a été prise volontairement ou si celle-ci résulte de pressions considérables. Néanmoins, dans la plupart des juridictions, la légitimité du processus de négociation de plaidoyer repose sur l’obligation des tribunaux à veiller à ce que le plaidoyer soit enregistré volontairement et avec une compréhension de la nature de l’accusation. Cette étude propose d’analyser la manière dont les accusés interprètent les éléments rationnels ou coercitifs de leur processus décisionnel et dans quelle mesure leur décision d’enregistrer un plaidoyer de culpabilité constitue une décision volontaire. Sur la base d’entretiens semi-structurés conduits auprès de vingt personnes condamnées, les résultats présentés décrivent les différents processus de prise de décision, et ce, de la décision libre et éclairée jusqu’à la décision forcée d’une personne innocente qui est contrainte d’enregistrer un plaidoyer de culpabilité.

Keywords

plea bargainingsentencingnegotiationsinnocentcoercionnégociation de plaidoyersentencingnégociationinnocencecoercition
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal of Law and Society / La Revue Canadienne Droit et Société , Volume 34 , Issue 3 , December 2019 , pp. 457 - 478
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Law and Society Association / Association Canadienne Droit et Société 2019 

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