Plea Bargains: Why Should You Consider Them?
Plea bargains are very common in the legal system, allowing criminal offenders to plead guilty to the charges against them in exchange for a reduced sentence. A plea bargain can also help prevent detailed evidence of the crime that may have come to light during your trial from surfacing.
If you have been charged with a criminal offense, read on to learn why a plea bargain could actually be a worthwhile legal strategy to pursue.
Your case may not be easily dependable
Your criminal lawyer could advise you to plead guilty before trial if they feel your chances of getting convicted by a judge or jury are high. Pre-trial rules require that the prosecution share their evidence with you as the defendant before trial, so your criminal attorney should be in a position to assess the strength of the evidence against you in advance.
If the prosecution has a rock-solid case against you, it may be advisable to seek a plea deal that will minimize your penalties at sentencing. This could mean agreeing to enter a guilty plea for the charges against you without a trial or plead guilty to a lesser charge. In return for this, the prosecutor would agree to recommend a lower sentence to the judge. Accepting responsibility for your crime by pleading guilty could also sway the judge to reduce their sentencing calculations.
The high risk of going to trial
Refusing to make a plea deal and taking the chance to go to trial could be very risky, especially when the prosecution has a strong case against you. If you do go to trial and get convicted, the prosecution will not have any restrictions to recommend the highest penalty for the crime, and you could end up being handed a severely harsh sentence.
Additionally, being dragged through a trial in open court could bring out uncharged criminal conduct to the attention of the judge (during cross-examination), as well as damning and emotional testimonies of victims that could lead to a harsher sentence. Such in-depth details about the crime and your previous criminal conduct may not have come to light if you had accepted a plea bargain.
While a plea bargain can be beneficial, the decision to forfeit your right to trial should never be taken without consulting a criminal lawyer, like Rutter and Sleeth Law Offices. The lawyer can help you weigh the likelihood of getting a conviction during trial and advice you whether accepting a plea bargain would work in your favor depending on the strength of the prosecution's case.