But surely the vast majority of people who take plea bargains are doing so because they are guilty, and because they are being offered a good deal. I suspect there are plenty who are getting screwed, and their lawyers need to stop that from happening, but it's not a vast conspiracy to deprive people of their rights. Just an attempt to save everyone time and money by not litigating petty crimes. I know a lawyer who refuses to take certain cases if his client doesn't plead guilty, because most of the time the client *is* guilty, and then he's spending his valuable time trying to keep criminals out of jail. But if the client pleads guilty, he can help make sure that the client isn't unduly punished. Most of what he does is make sure that those who plead guilty are given fair sentences.