They are right if the goal is to get the least amount of punishment. It sounds like he wants to protect his rights. In the US system yhe prosecutors throw the

They are right if the goal is to get the least amount of punishment. It sounds like he wants to protect his rights. In the US system yhe prosecutors throw the book at you and offer plea deals that are a small fraction of the original charge. They then then use their resources to go heavily after anyone who doesn't take a plea deal. That means you get to pick defending your rights or avoiding punishment, not both