History Main / ConfessToALesserCrime

* In one of the ''AceAttorney'' games, the culprit specifically sets things up ahead of time so that, if worse comes to worse, he'll be able to do this incredibly convincingly. It works so well that he proves extremely difficult to nail.

* Used humorously on ''StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''. Former spy Garak claims to be a simple tailor who was exiled from his planet for failure to pay taxes. No one buys it.

* ''BreakingBad'': In the first season, Skyler confronts Walt about his odd behavior and consorting with Jesse Pinkman. He tells her he's been buying pot from Pinkman. This is preferable to admitting he was cooking meth and had killed a man.

* In the AceAttorney manga, the murderer in the second case admits to setting the fire at Wolfe Manor because otherwise, Bobby, the defendant, would go free.

Also known as "copping a plea."

* The prosecutors on ''Series/LawAndOrder'' often settle for manslaughter convictions when evidence gets thrown out or when the defendant comes off as sympathetic to the jury, but defense counsel doesn't want to risk a full conviction. Jack's "Man one, he does the maximum," is a CatchPhrase on the show.

* In one episode of ''{{Frasier}}'', the gang travels to Canada in a Winnebago, unaware that Daphne isn't allowed to leave the country without her green card. Frasier and Niles act as one would expect from them, making customs suspicious until Martin "confesses" that Eddie doesn't have a proper pet ID.

* The prosecutors on ''LawAndOrder'' often settle for manslaughter convictions when evidence gets thrown out or when the defendant comes off as sympathetic to the jury, but defense counsel doesn't want to risk a full conviction. Jack's "Man one, he does the maximum," is a CatchPhrase on the show.

* Frequently used on ''LieToMe''. Justified in that Cal and his team can always tell if you're lying (or guilty, or ashamed) but not what you're lying, guilty, or ashamed ''about''. This trope may be the only way to throw them off your trail.

* In ''BreakerMorant'', [[spoiler: a soldier is accused of murdering a suspected spy, but confesses that, at the time, he'd been in the bed of a married woman. Turns out he had time for both.]]

* In Robert A Heinlein's ''If This Goes On...'', Lyle is advised to pretend to commit a lesser offense to help cover up his involvement in LaResistance. He's further told that faithfully adhering to all of the regime's many laws is unusual enough to get the regime's attention, so he should "never try to pretend lily-white innocence". Lyle leaves evidence of gambling, gets "caught" and lectured on it, and then is let go.

* Luke Atmey does this in ''AceAttorney Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations]], confessing to burglary [[spoiler:to escape being charged with murder]].

* In ''BreakerMorant'', [[spoiler: a soldier is accused of murdering a suspected spy, but confesses that, at the time, he'd been in the bed of a married woman. Turns out he had time for both.]]

* Frequently used on ''LieToMe''. Justified in that Cal and his team can always tell if you're lying (or guilty, or ashamed) but not what you're lying, guilty, or ashamed ''about''. This trope may be the only way to throw them off your trail

* Frequently used on ''LieToMe''. Justified in that Cal and his team can always tell if you're lying (or guilty, or ashamed) but not what you're lying (or guilty, or ashamed) ''about''. This trope may be the only way to throw them off your trail

* Used humorously on ''StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''. Former spy Garak claims to be a simple tailor who was exiled from his planet for failure to pay taxes. No one buys it.

* ''SpyGame'': Nathan Muir spends most of the film using CIA resources to plan an authorized operation to rescue his protégé. When the CIA discovers he's been accessing satellite data, Muir admits to misusing agency resources... to research retirement properties.

----

May be used by an UndercoverCop to keep from being exposed, or by a SympatheticCriminal to avoid punishment.

Contrast FalseConfession and TakingTheHeat

* ''SpyGame'': Nathan Muir spends most of the film using CIA resources to plan an authorized operation to rescue his protege. When the CIA discovers he's been accessing satellite data, he admits to misusing agency resources... to research retirement properties.

[[AC:{{Televison}}]]

* ''BreakingBad'': In the first season, Skyler confronts Walt about his odd behavior and consorting with Jesse Pinkman. He tells her he's been buying pot from Pinkman. This is preferable to admitted he was cooking meth and had killed a man.

Click the edit button to start this new page.