How the Right to Trial Became a Legal Fiction

The Supreme Court is slowly acknowledging the long-term damage caused by coercive plea bargaining, which has turned the right to a trial into more of a theoretical concept than a practical reality. This practice, approved half a century ago, has led to countless defendants accepting guilty pleas to avoid harsher penalties, often without fair trials. The implications of this recognition could reshape legal standards and push for reforms that restore the integrity of the judicial process, highlighting the need for a justice system that truly upholds defendants' rights.