A plea of guilty is exactly what it sounds like: admitting that you committed the elements of the charged offense(s) that normally requires you to lay a factual basis sufficient to establish every element.

I never realized that NBA seasons lasted 12 years apiece.

TL;DR Van Dyke might walk and you should know why if that happens.

This is for people on both sides of the issue. For anyone who is actually interested in the legal aspects of this case, here’s the Illinois statute on police use of force: