If you’ve been charged with a criminal offense, then you’re probably worried about what the future has in store for you. This is understandable, especially given the uncertainty that surrounds litigation of these cases. Yet, you can retain some control over how your case plays out. One way to do so is to determine if a plea deal is right for you.
Should you take a plea deal in your case?
The vast majority of criminal cases result in some form of agreement before heading to trial. For prosecutors, plea bargains save time and effort. For those accused of a criminal offense, a plea deal can allow them to escape the harshest penalties under the law and move on with their life. But before you can determine the appropriateness of a plea deal, you should consider a number of factors.
- Your ability to suppress evidence: If you can exclude some of the prosecution’s evidence from trial, then you stand a better chance of obtaining an acquittal. Therefore, you’ll want to know the law here and just how strong of an argument you have for suppression.
- What’s being offered: If the plea deal provides for only a minimal decrease in penalties, then you don’t really have much to lose by going to trial. If there’s a big difference in penalties, though, then a plea deal might be worth a second look, but only in light of the evidence.
- What does case law look like: A plea deal has to be considered in the context of the facts of the case at hand. To obtain a better sense of how the facts will hold up to your legal argument, you can turn to case law. Although no two cases are exactly alike and juries are rather unpredictable, conducting this research can give you a clearer picture of where your case stands.
Aggressively fight to protect your interests
This post isn’t meant to say that a plea deal is right in every situation. In fact, there are a lot of cases where aggressively fighting against the prosecution is the only option or the only way to obtain a just outcome. However, it’s important that you know your criminal defense options so that you can make the decisions that are right for you. If you’d like to learn more about what a strong criminal defense firm can do for you in that regard, then consider reaching out to a legal team with a track record of successful criminal defense representation.
