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Author: The Investigative Reporting Workshop

Punished for life: Unexpected repercussions dog defendants who cop to minor pleas

December 4, 2013 Updated November 7, 2019
Facing minor criminal charges, some defendants decide to take a plea deal. But they find that the stigma can prevent them from getting jobs and housing. And getting their record expunged later turns out to be almost a difficult as avoiding conviction in the first place.

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