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Alford plea

American  
[al-ferd] / ˈæl fərd /

noun

  1. Law. a pleading of guilty in a plea bargain in which a defendant maintains their innocence.


Etymology

Origin of Alford plea

From the 1970 case North Carolina v. ( Henry C. ) Alford

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Leo Wise urged Scarsi to reject the Alford plea, stating that doing so would be “contrary to the rule of law” and “an injustice.”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 5, 2024

The president's son would like to submit what is known as an Alford plea, a rare form of plea allowing defendants to maintain their innocence while accepting a guilty verdict and sentence.

From BBC • Sep. 5, 2024

In May 2013, Smith petitioned the court to revisit his Alford plea for the assault charge, and his sentence was modified to time served, plus three years probation, which was later reduced to probation.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 20, 2023

As part of the agreement, Kitchens entered into an Alford plea, which permits defendants to maintain their innocence while pleading guilty.

From Salon • Aug. 24, 2023

On “Paybach,” Gunna addresses the false narratives about his Alford plea by rhetorically asking, “Switching on my brother, are you serious?”

From Slate • Jul. 13, 2023