by Megan Rose, ProPublica.org <script type="text/javascript" src="https://pixel.propublica.org/pixel.js" async="true"></script>

The case of Demetrius Smith reads like a preposterous legal thriller: dubious arrests, two lying prostitutes, prosecutorial fouls and a judge who backpedaled out of a deal.

It also delivers a primer on why defendants often agree to virtually inescapable plea ...