Coerced into pleading guilty: the rise of trial-waivers in Europe

After Fiqiri was arrested for driving a vehicle without a licence, he was persuaded to plead guilty to avoid a potential jail sentence if the case went to court. "They didn't tell me anything, just left me in a cell for 72 hours. For no reason. They left me without work, my kids starving, no money for rent. The prosecutor said, "Come sign here." I did and that's it," explained Fiqiri.

The 'vehicle' in question was a tricycle that Fiqiri used to collect trash to sell. As it happens, ther...