--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: 40% of homicides go unsolved. You know…" description: "\"40% of homicides go unsolved. You know, it's not a very good record. And, also, 95% of convictions in America come from plea bargaining, which is often..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfe/bill-maher-211_america_40-of-homicides-go-unsolved-you-know-it_1011339.jpg" --- # 40% of homicides go unsolved. You know, it's not a very… ![“40% of homicides go unsolved. You know, it's not a very good record. And, also, 95% of convictions in America come from plea bargaining, which is often coerced. It's like we have the worst of both worlds. We don't convict the guilty enough, and we coerce the innocent too much.” quote by Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfe/bill-maher-211_america_40-of-homicides-go-unsolved-you-know-it_1011339.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfe/bill-maher-211_america_40-of-homicides-go-unsolved-you-know-it_1011339.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfe/bill-maher-211_america_40-of-homicides-go-unsolved-you-know-it_1011339.jpg) > “40% of homicides go unsolved. You know, it's not a very good record. And, also, 95% of convictions in America come from plea bargaining, which is often coerced. It's like we have the worst of both worlds. We don't convict the guilty enough, and we coerce the innocent too much.” [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The criminal justice system fails both by not convicting enough guilty people and by pressuring innocent people into guilty pleas. **In simple terms:** System flaws hurt both victims and the innocent. Key Takeaway Advocate for fair trial reforms. Themes justice law ethics Mood critical concerned Type political analytical When to use this quote - courtroom reform - policy advocacy - public awareness campaigns - legal education Key Concepts plea bargaining conviction rates systemic bias civil rights Questions to Reflect On - What changes could reduce coerced pleas? - How can public pressure improve conviction accuracy? A Different Perspective Reforms face political resistance and entrenched interests. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Bargaining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bargaining/) [Coerce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coerce/) [Conviction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conviction/) [Convicts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convicts/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Good records](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-records/) [Guilty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilty/) [Guilty Coerce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilty-coerce-2198341/) [Homicide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homicide/) [Homicides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homicides-476276/) [Homicides Unsolved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homicides-unsolved-2198340/) [Innocent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innocent/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Plea Bargaining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plea-bargaining-220685/) [Records](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/records/) [Too much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-much/) [Unsolved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unsolved/) [Very good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very-good/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst/) ## Related quotes > [“Police throughout the United States have been caught fabricating, planting, and manipulating evidence to obtain convictions where cases would otherwise be very weak. Some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carpenter/police-throughout-the-united-states-have-been-caught-fabricating/) [Dale Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carpenter/) > [In many courts, plea bargaining serves the convenience of the judge and the lawyers, not the ends of justice, because the courts simply lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/in-many-courts-plea-bargaining-serves-the-convenience-of-the-judge/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [If I rob a gas station, I'm going to get 15 years. If I steal $400 million on Wall Street, I start plea-bargaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/powers-boothe/if-i-rob-a-gas-station-i-m-going-to-get-15-years-if-i-steal-400/) [Powers Boothe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/powers-boothe/) > [“The Supreme Court has now closed the courthouse doors to claims of racial bias at every stage of the criminal justice process, from stops…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/the-supreme-court-has-now-closed-the-courthouse-doors-to-claims-of/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [Yet far from putting any meaningful constraints on law enforcement in this war, the U.S. Supreme Court has given the police license to stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/yet-far-from-putting-any-meaningful-constraints-on-law-enforcement-in/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [There isn't a mayor in the world or a president in the world that can stop homicides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-hobbs/there-isn-t-a-mayor-in-the-world-or-a-president-in-the-world-that-can/) [Keith Hobbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-hobbs/) > [Blacks are six times more likely than whites to be victims of homicides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/blacks-are-six-times-more-likely-than-whites-to-be-victims-of/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [Since there are only so many ways to kill a person, a good portion of homicides look pretty much alike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-brown/since-there-are-only-so-many-ways-to-kill-a-person-a-good-portion-of/) [Pat Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-brown/) > [“This is the pattern of gun killings in big cities. Most homicides are not professional jobs, in felonious pursuits, but are committed by relatives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/this-is-the-pattern-of-gun-killings-in-big-cities-most-homicides-are/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) > [“Anonymous, faceless homicides, he decides, lack the thrill of human contact.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/anonymous-faceless-homicides-he-decides-lack-the-thrill-of-human/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [Multiple studies, including from the Justice Department, have shown that the guns used in homicides, including the killing of police officers, overwhelmingly tend to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radley-balko/multiple-studies-including-from-the-justice-department-have-shown/) [Radley Balko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radley-balko/) > [Crimes are being committed 24/7, 365 days a year. My show aired one hour a day, and then a repeat at 2 a.m. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-grace/crimes-are-being-committed-24-7-365-days-a-year-my-show-aired-one/) [Nancy Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-grace/) > [The rest of Sitka's homicides are so-called crimes of passion, which is a shorthand way of expressing the mathematical product of alcohol and firearms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/the-rest-of-sitka-s-homicides-are-so-called-crimes-of-passion-which/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Not long ago, ninety percent of homicides were committed by people who knew their victims. Now as many as thirty percent involved people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/not-long-ago-ninety-percent-of-homicides-were-committed-by-people-who/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [The more killing and homicides you have, the more havoc it prevents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-daley/the-more-killing-and-homicides-you-have-the-more-havoc-it-prevents/) [Richard M. Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-daley/) ## More by Bill Maher > [A lot of people say they are dyslexic; some have to realize that they are just stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/a-lot-of-people-say-they-are-dyslexic-some-have-to-realize-that-they/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [I saw this anti-drug commercial that showed a kid smoking pot in his dad's room with his friend. This kid finds a gun, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-saw-this-anti-drug-commercial-that-showed-a-kid-smoking-pot-in-his/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [To all conservative women out there: If you are so sure the embryo needed for stem cell research are precious human life that can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/to-all-conservative-women-out-there-if-you-are-so-sure-the-embryo/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [Curious people are intersting people, I wonder why that is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/curious-people-are-intersting-people-i-wonder-why-that-is/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [You see, the difference is the Republicans' hatred of Obama is based on a paranoid feeling about what he might do, what he's thinking,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/you-see-the-difference-is-the-republicans-hatred-of-obama-is-based-on/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [The food is out of this world!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/the-food-is-out-of-this-world/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [New Rule: There is no devil, so stop blaming your screw-ups on him. Last week, one of the biggest evangelical leaders in America, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/new-rule-there-is-no-devil-so-stop-blaming-your-screw-ups-on-him-last/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [If we were a dog and God owned us, the cops would come and take us away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/if-we-were-a-dog-and-god-owned-us-the-cops-would-come-and-take-us-away/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“New Rule: The White House doesn't have to release the dead Bin Laden photos, but don't pretend we can't take it. We've seen pictures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/new-rule-the-white-house-doesn-t-have-to-release-the-dead-bin-laden/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [I think religion is bad and drugs are good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-think-religion-is-bad-and-drugs-are-good/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [I don't hate America. I love America. I want it to be better. The only way we can get it to be better is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-don-t-hate-america-i-love-america-i-want-it-to-be-better-the-only/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“New Rule: Americans must realize what makes NFL football so great: socialism. That's right, the NFL takes money from the rich teams and gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/new-rule-americans-must-realize-what-makes-nfl-football-so-great/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [So many kids are fat drug addicts these days, it's almost as if Rush Limbaugh had puppies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/so-many-kids-are-fat-drug-addicts-these-days-it-s-almost-as-if-rush/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [What we don't know is about Jeb Bush and cocaine. But we do know that he did once had his brother Florida on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/what-we-don-t-know-is-about-jeb-bush-and-cocaine-but-we-do-know-that/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“I find that the world is changing much, much faster than I can even bitch about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-find-that-the-world-is-changing-much-much-faster-than-i-can-even/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) [Explore all 897 Bill Maher quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "40% of homicides go unsolved. You know, it's not a very good record. And, also, 95% of convictions in America come from plea bargaining, which is often coerced. It's like we have the worst of both worlds. We don't convict the guilty enough, and we coerce the innocent too much.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bill Maher" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/40-of-homicides-go-unsolved-you-know-it-s-not-a-very-good-record-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/40-of-homicides-go-unsolved-you-know-it-s-not-a-very-good-record-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfe/bill-maher-211_america_40-of-homicides-go-unsolved-you-know-it_1011339.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfe/bill-maher-211_america_40-of-homicides-go-unsolved-you-know-it_1011339.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfe/bill-maher-211_america_40-of-homicides-go-unsolved-you-know-it_1011339.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“40% of homicides go unsolved. You know, it's not a very good record. And, also, 95% of convictions in…” — Bill Maher", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bill Maher", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "40% of homicides go unsolved. You...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/40-of-homicides-go-unsolved-you-know-it-s-not-a-very-good-record-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/40-of-homicides-go-unsolved-you-know-it-s-not-a-very-good-record-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```