After being accused of a crime with a pending trial date, you may research the potential penalties you may be facing. Understandably, you may be overwhelmed with just how harsh the court holds the right to be against you. With this realization, you may become more interested in submitting to a plea bargain in order to evade these criminal trial proceedings. And with that, please continue reading to learn what to expect from the plea bargain process and how an experienced Morristown criminal defense lawyer at Graves Andrews, LLC can help you be successful in your efforts.
What should I expect from the plea bargain process in New Jersey?
Before all else, you must understand that when you agree to a plea bargain, you essentially agree to plead guilty. However, you are pleading guilty to reduce charges or a lighter sentence than what you were originally up against. For example, say you were initially accused of committing a driving while intoxicated (DWI) offense. Well, you may negotiate with a prosecutor to instead be charged with a reckless driving offense and to subsequently pay for these associated, lessened penalties. Or, in this example, say that you were also found to be in possession of controlled substances during your DWI traffic stop. Well, during this negotiation process, you may ask a prosecutor to drop the drug possession charge if you plead guilty to a DWI offense.
What happens if I am unsuccessful with my plea bargain attempt?
A prosecutor’s agreeableness to a plea bargain may depend on the extenuating circumstances surrounding your alleged offense. Following the example above, you may remind a prosecutor that this is your first DWI offense, not to mention that you may have a clean criminal history to begin with. Better yet, a prosecutor may have an inkling that they will not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you are guilty of the crime in front of the New Jersey criminal court. This is especially if the law enforcement officer at your traffic stop made certain blunders along the way.
Importantly, though, even if a prosecutor agrees to a plea bargain and proposes a reduced charge or lighter sentence to the judge, they may still use their discretion to reject it. That is, this particular judge may hold a no-tolerance policy when it comes to DWI offenses. In this case, they may be unwilling to let you get away with lesser or no jail time, let alone reducing or dropping the charge altogether. All of this to say, even if you believe you are successful in your plea bargain attempt, you cannot be left unprepared for the very-real possibility of trial.
And so, if you are ready to get started on your legal defense, now is a better time than ever to contact a skilled Morristown criminal defense lawyer. Graves Andrews, LLC is here to help.
