People plead not guilty for a variety of reasons: one, because they are entitled to do so as a matter of law; two, because they are not guilty; three, because they can beat the charge; and four, because even if they're not sure they can beat the charge, the consequences are so significant that it's worth the try. The consequences are the record of criminal conviction and the stigma that attaches to that and the way in which that can affect employment and travel. The second part is the prohibition. The third, perhaps to a lesser extent, is the fine. If the prohibition issue can be addressed, might it encourage guilty pleas in appropriate instances? It might. It's not going to hurt, as it's a good provision. Would it have a significant or dramatic effect upon the rate at which these cases are contested? My guess is no.
On September 18th, 2017. See this statement in context.