When you’re facing criminal charges, accepting a plea deal is never ideal – but it can be a safer course of action if you aren’t confident about your odds in court. That said, you should never accept any plea deal without counsel from an attorney who can help you broker an agreement that serves your interests as best as possible.
Being arrested and charged with a crime is an incredibly frightening and frustrating experience. Those who have never experienced it before, or who may be facing severe charges, may feel eager or even desperate to make their legal problems go away by any means necessary.
Prosecutors are well aware of this, and in the interest of expediting their caseloads and securing convictions, they might offer plea deals to defendants who are likely to accept them.
Ultimately, the Government Wants to Avoid a Trial
Depending on the severity of the charges you’re facing, the government might offer a plea deal when prosecutors are confident in their case against you. Rather than spending valuable resources and time on a trial, prosecutors might offer to lower a defendant’s charges and/or recommend a lighter sentence to the judge. In exchange, the defendant pleads guilty to the charges, and the District Attorney’s office secures another conviction.
When facing criminal charges, it’s your Constitutional right to be tried by a jury of your peers in a court of law. What you decide to do is always up to you, but keep in mind that you should never engage with prosecutors without your own legal counsel to protect your rights and provide critical counsel when you need it most.
Rely on Your Attorney’s Advice
Although the decision to accept a plea deal is yours to make, you should be as informed as possible.
Having an attorney in your corner can help you realistically assess your situation and your odds of presenting a strong case of your own in court. Remember that being offered a plea deal usually means that the government thinks it has a strong case against you, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s stronger than the defense your attorney can build.
You Can Fight Your Criminal Charges with Our Help
No matter the severity of the charges you’re facing, Hester Law Group can provide the legal support you need to construct your defense. Our attorneys share more than 130 years of combined legal experience that we’ve relied on to provide our clients with effective legal representation.
How you want to handle your criminal defense case is up to you, but you can increase your odds of securing an acquittal, case dismissal, or another favorable outcome by having Hester Law Group on your side.
For more information about how we can help, contact us online now.