Michael,
I’ll admit I did not apply the legal definition of “accepting responsibility,” though I don’t think that interpretation offers a different result than the one I described.
My suggestion was that the “Alford plea” — along with the declarative statement (rather than simple “yes, sir” answers to a series of questions from the judge) of responsibility in open, televised court proceedings — probably strengthens the case against Black in the court of public opinion.
Whether the former speaker actually believes he acted illegally, he has now said that he acted illegally.
On a side note, your discussion of the federal sentencing grid reminds me that I’ve heard very little discussion of the fact that Black is not going to spend 10 years in federal prison. Media reports would be more accurate if they said: “Black’s guilty plea exposes him to a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Under federal sentencing rules, he’s likely to face a lighter penalty.”
