Criminal Lawyers know how to plea bargain

Your criminal charges may be resolved through a negotiation process called "plea bargaining". This takes place when your lawyer negotiates on your behalf with the prosecutor to get you the best result possible.

Should you go to trial, or try to plea bargain?

Everyone agrees that it's a bad idea to make an important decision without having complete information. And, because you have a lot to lose, deciding whether or not to go to trial on a criminal charge is a very important decision.

When a criminal attorney reviews the case against you, he's looking for the strengths, weaknesses and likely outcomes of the case. Then he'll tell you what those likely outcomes are, and give you his thoughts about the different ways to proceed.

If the case against you is weak, he may recommend going to trial. However, if he believes that there is likelihood that you could be convicted; he may recommend plea-bargaining in order to get you the best result possible.

Negotiate from a place of strength!

Negotiating from a place of weakness is a bad idea. When you try to negotiate on your own behalf, you're operating from a place of weakness, and the prosecutor knows it. Prosecutors know the law, and they know how to assess your case. You don't.

A criminal lawyer knows the law, knows which prosecutors to talk to, and what to say to them in an effort to convince them to reduce your charges. A prosecutor may entertain a plea bargain if there is a good reason to reduce your charges. Your criminal lawyer will provide that reason.

The bottom line on plea-bargaining

A plea bargain may be your best option, and your lawyer will be able to tell you if that is the case. Understand that you probably only have one shot at a plea bargain. So you want to do it right. Don't try to do this on your own. Have a criminal lawyer do it for you.