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Plea deals have specific points to consider for both sides

On Behalf of | Aug 17, 2018 | Criminal Defense |

Many criminal cases are resolved with a plea bargain. This is a tool that enables the defendant and the prosecutor to work together to get the case resolved. In most cases, the prosecutor will only work directly with the defense attorney.

There are specific points that both sides of the criminal case must consider if one of these deals is going to work. One of the most important is to realize that you are going to have to plead either guilty or no contest to the charges. This is made in open court, so it will be on your record.

In exchange for the specific plea, the prosecutor will seek a specific penalty for you. This is usually less severe than what is possible if you face a jury for a trial. One thing that might be possible is having the charge reduced to one that isn’t as serious. While there isn’t any guarantee, you might be able to have a felony downgraded to a misdemeanor.

The plea deal is important to the criminal justice system since it allows the prosecution to save time, energy and resources to use on more serious cases. They also help to free up space on bogged down court dockets so that other cases can proceed in a timely fashion.

Another consideration for a plea deal is that there isn’t a duty for the court to accept the plea deal. The judge can strike the deal down or alter the sentence that the defendant faces.

Finally, you should remember that there will be a conviction on your criminal report once this is done. Your future might be impacted by this so carefully consider your options.