That means that if the judge does not agree with the terms of the plea deal presented by the prosecution, he or she can add additional jail time, fines, and other punitive measures to your sentence. When you enter your plea, you will have to admit to the crimes you have been accused of, and you will have the charges on your record for life.Īdditionally, the sentencing decision for your case will still ultimately be left up to the judge. First, you cannot maintain your innocence with a guilty plea. However, there are some drawbacks to pleading guilty. If there is substantial evidence against you in your case and it is likely that a jury would find you guilty, a plea deal will typically be the best path. For example, a felony charge may be reduced to a misdemeanor through a plea deal. When a lawyer advises a client to plead guilty, it is usually because a deal has been worked out with the prosecution to reduce the sentence associated with the crime or drop certain charges. That’s because you can change a not guilty plea to a guilty one at any time, but a guilty plea is usually permanent. However, if you are unable to consult a lawyer prior to arraignment or you are uncertain what a guilty plea will entail, it is typically advisable to enter a plea of “not guilty”. īefore entering your plea, you should review your case with your criminal defense attorney, as every case will have unique circumstances. In other words, your plea will not necessarily be determined by whether you are innocent. While it may seem like a simple decision between the two, there are actually many factors to consider before entering your plea. Traditionally, there are two options available: Guilty or not guilty. When you have been charged with a crime, the first step in the criminal justice process will be an arraignment hearing where you will enter a plea.
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