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Nolo contendere

I’ve sometimes been a li’l frustrated with how a nolo contendere plea isn’t more universal (for example, it’s not an option here in Sweden).

Maybe it’s because I’m so overly fond of that creepy old “Is that so?” Zen story.

The absence of a nolo contendere means that someone who is innocent will have to lie or fight.

Yeah, yeah, I can see how maybe it is the duty of all citizens to fight their case since the purpose of the justice system shouldn’t be punishment, it should be validation, and the guilty having to acknowledge their guilt is a central part of that restorative process.

I guess I got carried away with the fantasy of someone innocent who is so utterly drained that having to even lift one finger as the blade falls is too much of an ask.