An Alford plea is a plea to resolve a criminal matter. It occurs when a defendant does not want to admit their guilt. However, they want to take advantage of a favorable plea bargain. An Alford plea takes advantage of the benefit of the plea bargain without the defendant having to admit that they committed the offense. The plea’s name comes from the United States Supreme Court case North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25 (1970).