Navigating the nation's legal system when charged with a crime can be challenging. Due to overcrowding in prisons and the strain that numerous arrests place on the legal system, many defendants find themselves being offered a plea bargain when trying to resolve their case. Determining whether you should accept a plea bargain or take your case to trial can be a difficult decision to make.
Here are three things that you should take into consideration when discussing the merits of a plea bargain with your lawyer in the future.
1. The number of charges you are facing.
It's not uncommon for a single incident to give rise to several different criminal charges. Each of these charges carries its own penalty, and if you take your case to trial you may be convicted of more than one charge.
Multiple convictions could result in the assessment of multiple sentences, extending the amount of time that you spend behind bars. Your lawyer will be able to help you determine if your plea bargain reduces the number of charges that you are facing, thereby reducing the possible number of sentences that could be levied against you.
2. The severity of your charges.
The legal system uses a tiered classification system to categorize different crimes. The more severe the crime, the harsher the punishment associated with that crime. A plea bargain can often be used by the prosecutor to reduce the severity of a defendant's crime.
Be sure to discuss the stipulations outlined within your individual plea bargain with your lawyer to determine if a reduction in severity has been offered. Pleading out to a less severe crime could reduce the amount of time you spend behind bars.
3. The evidence in your favor.
In order to prove that you are innocent of the crime you have been charged with, you must produce evidence in a court of law. Sometimes, it can be difficult to obtain evidence that would be powerful enough to sway the opinion of a judge and jury.
Be sure that you discuss the strength of the evidence in your favor with your lawyer when you are offered a plea bargain. Your lawyer will be able to advise you as to whether or not the evidence in your case is strong enough to support a not guilty verdict should you decide to take your case to trial.
Deciding when to take a plea bargain can be challenging. Work with your attorney to take the number of charges you are facing, the severity of these charges, and the strength of the evidence in your favor into consideration when trying to determine if accepting a plea bargain is in your best interest.
