Learning about criminal justice realities from elected officials

Lately we’ve been learning a lot about sentencing and corrections realities from sports stars and celebrities.  But, earlier this summer, some elected officials were the teachers: President Bush explained why Scooter Libby’s guideline sentence was excessive and Senators assailed a federal prosecutor for excessive prosecution of Border Agents Compean and Ramos.

Now, as detailed in this CNN story, new lessons are coming from Senator Larry Craig.  Craig is now saying that he “overreacted and made a poor decision” when deciding to plead guilty to disorderly conduct after his June arrest following an incident in a Minneapolis airport bathroom.  Apparently, Craig is now, in this statement, asserting his innocence:

The senator said he “chose to plead guilty to a lesser charge in the hope of making it go away.  I did not seek any counsel, either from an attorney, staff, friends, or family.  That was a mistake, and I deeply regret it.”  On Tuesday, Craig announced that he has retained an attorney.

If we credit Craig’s claims, we have a great example of how and why a defendant might plead guilty even when innocent, as well as an example of the importance of getting quality legal advice as soon as possible.