Many criminal cases are settled by plea deals so there is a good chance you will be offered one if you are facing charges. While these can be advantageous, they are not always the best option so it is crucial to examine your options thoroughly.
Remember, above all, the prosecutor is not on your side. They are the person who will offer you the deal and their priority is seeing you convicted. You should take anything they say about it being your best option with a grain of salt. That’s for you to decide, not them.
A plea deal comes with one certainty
The most important thing to bear in mind when looking at plea deals is they will all guarantee one thing – you end up as a convicted criminal. Think about what effect this will have on your life. A criminal record might harm your job, study or immigration opportunities. It could affect how others think of you and how you think of yourself.
Obviously, if you go to trial and the court convicts you, then all those things could also apply, but the thing about going to trial is you give yourself a chance of emerging without a criminal record. Even if you lose, you still have a chance to present your side of the story and continue to proclaim your innocence. That could mean a lot to you and those who believe in you.
There are so many grounds on which to contest criminal charges that you should never assume a conviction is guaranteed, no matter how much the prosecution tries to convince you it is. With legal guidance to examine the situation, you can make the best choice for you in the circumstances. This could be accepting the plea deal. It could be negotiating for a better one. Or it could be fighting the charges in court with all due aggression.
