A conviction occurs when a judge or jury determines that the facts of your case meet the required level of proof in your jurisdiction to find you guilty of the crime charged. The legal standard for this is known as “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
In cases of wrongful conviction, innocent people may be imprisoned for crimes they did not commit. Counties, states, and the federal government all have different rules about preserving and allowing access to testing that could prove your innocence after you’ve been convicted. Even when a person has been released from prison and has evidence that proves they’re innocent, it can be difficult to get the conviction reversed. Some prosecutors have set up Conviction Review Units, or CIUs, to identify and remedy these errors.
If you refuse to plead guilty, your case will go to trial. This is the kind of trial that you see on TV shows like Law and Order, where the prosecution presents its evidence and your lawyer counters it. A trial can be heard by a jury or by a judge alone, but judges are less likely to show sympathy for you.
Radical uncertainty evokes curiosity, but it can also trigger approach emotions like risk-taking and aversion. Our theory is that narratives can help manage these approach-avoidance conflicts, by guiding your thoughts about the future and helping you decide when it’s appropriate to engage in action.