pled

verb [vt. 及物动词]乞求；（在法庭）申辩；陈述案情；论证，解释；推说；为……辩护；引证（plead 的过去式及过去分词）

The robber pled that he was forced to do it.
抢匪辩称他是被迫去抢劫的。