"If you're innocent why take a plea?"

This is something that many RD supporters ask about Mike Porter.  "Why take 30 years if you're innocent"?  We have heard that over and over and over....and many statements to that affect.  They say that "Lance asked DA Smothermon to give Porter a plea deal", that Kathie is an awful person for supporting the plea deal, all kinds of bad things have been said about that "plea deal".  They say if he was innocent of harming Kelsey, he should have went to trial and proven his innocence.

Do those same RD supporters that also support Ryan Wonderly's "false prosecution" and "wrongful conviction" ask that same question about Ryan?  Here is a link to KP that in the first post lists his criminal record.  http://www.kelseyspurpose.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=3575    He took a "plea deal" of 35 years!!  For those of you who don't know, he was a youth pastor in the Nazarene Church that was charged with molesting several girls in his church.  According to these "supporters" fav paper, the US Observer, they make it sound like he was "forced" to take the plea.

Ryan Wonderly entered an "Alfred Plea".  I quote this from About.com...."In this plea, the defendant does not admit the act and asserts innocence, but admits that sufficient evidence exists with which the prosecution could likely convince a judge or jury to find the defendant guilty."

My question would still be, if he was "innocent" why accept the plea at all?  If he is innocent why not chance going to court?  See, to me the difference in Porter taking the plea deal offered by Smothermon, is that he admitted he was guilty of "enabling abuse", so why wouldn't he take the plea?  To chance going to court on that charge, especially after admitting that he enabled the abuse to Kelsey, could have and most likely would have, gotten him a "life sentence".  Easy to see why he took the plea, he admitted his guilt and accepted a plea with a lesser sentence of punishment for the crime he comitted and admitted.  I'd say that was a "no brainer" myself. 

Ryan on the other hand still maintains his innocence.  So why cop to a plea?  To receive a lesser sentence?  Why didn't he "take his chance" with a jury?  By entering an Alfred plea he "admits that sufficient evidence exists with which the prosecution could likely convince a judge or jury to find the defendant guilty."
Interesting isn't it?  I saw by the article in the US Observer that afterwards he was also claiming ineffective counsel.  Two appeals have been filed in this case, but I haven't yet found out anything else, although the Observer says to stay tuned for new "revelations" in this case coming soon.

Anyway, got a little off track :)   I still wonder if these same people that question Porter acceptance of the plea offered, question why Ryan accepted his plea?  An attorney can "advise" a client to take a plea, but they certainly cannot force them to take it.

Real quick I want to bring up something else interesting that was just confirmed to me.  We knew that the Wonderly's were in attendence every day at Raye Dawn's trial and wondered why.  I just recently received confirmation that Mr. Wonderly works for none other than the US Observer.  Things that make ya go hhhmmm.......

Have a great day everyone!