The West Memphis Three have been released, seventeen years after they were convicted of committing a crime they most likely didn’t commit.

That is as it should be (well, not really, they shouldn’t have been sent to prison in the first place, but I digress.)

Contingent on the young men being released was they had to change their pleas from ‘not guilty’ to ‘guilty.’ But they’re using the Alford Plea. According to Anne Bremner, a Seattle attorney and legal analyst, as reported by the Huffington Post, is: ‘”The plea means that you maintain your innocence but you believe there is a substantial likelihood that a jury will find you guilty so you are pleading guilty per State v. Alford.”

Occasionally, in real life, you’ll hear a person jokingly ‘plead the fifth’. I think we’re going to start hearing people in relationships with insecure people using the Alford Plea. Like so:

Insane Person: You’re cheating on me, aren’t you?
Glutton for Punishment: No. I’ve told you-it’s my mother I’ve been texting.
Insane Person: I don’t believe you!
Glutton for Punishment: Here. This is my mother’s name on my phone, as well as her birth certificate. It’s the same person.
Insane Person: YOU TEXTED HER TO SAY YOU LOVE HER.
Glutton for Punishment: Yes. She’s my mother and I love her. It does happen.
Insane Person: YOU’RE LYING. SHE’S NOT REALLY YOUR MOTHER.
Glutton for Punishment: All right. You’ve got me.
Insane Person: … Really?
Glutton for Punishment: No. But I’m entering the Alford Plea. I’m innocent, but you’re going to convict me at any rate. This was I’ll save the next five hours, during which you’ll wear me down until I agree with you simply to get some peace. So… Yes, I’m madly in love with a woman twice my age with whom I happen to share the same eyes and chin.
Insane Person: … So…
Glutton for Punishment: In a court of law, it’s equivalent to entering a plea of guilty. So let’s get on with my punishment so we can get on to your next ridiculous accusation.
Insane Person: … So… I win?
Glutton for Punishment: Yes. You win. I’m cheating on you. Congratulations.

Read the Huffington Post article here .