The grammar crime of "he plead": understanding the past tense mistake

What kind of error is it?

Verb tense agreement error

Why do people make this mistake?

People often make this error because they confuse the verb "plead" with irregular verbs that do not follow the standard "-ed" past tense rule, or because they are influenced by the common misconception that the past tense of "plead" sounds like similar irregular verbs such as "lead" (led) or "read" (pronounced "red").

What is correct?

The correct past tense form of "plead" in American English is "pleaded". However, in legal contexts, "pled" is also commonly accepted.