Alford plea

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Alford plea

Where it comes from

Originated in the US legal case before the Supreme Court of the United States, North Carolina v. Alford (1970).

noun Alford pleas

US A plea in criminal court in which the defendant does not admit guilt but concedes the government has sufficient evidence to convict. Alford Plea. A plea under which a defendant may choose to plead guilty, not because of an admission to the crime, but because the prosecutor has sufficient evidence to place a charge and to obtain conviction in court. The plea is commonly used in local and state courts in the United States.
Similar: Kennedy plea

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MLA

"Alford plea." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/alford%20plea. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

Alford plea. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/alford%20plea

Chicago

"Alford plea." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/alford%20plea.

BibTeX

@misc{alford_plea_2026,
  title = {Alford plea},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/alford%20plea},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}