While perhaps great in theory, that absolute falls apart in practice.

I was accused of a crime, for which the potential punishment would have prevented my being an active father to my soon to be kindergartner. There was a significant chance given the evidence (basically a he said/she said) that taken to trial I would have been found guilty.

Given the probabilities and the risk, the rational decision for me was to take the plea, only to ensure that I could avoid terms that would have interfered with my ability to be a father.

When throwing the book at you is not an idle threat, and the result would effect other people, you quickly realize that you must consider options that are far less idealistic.