Assault Lawyer Fairfax Virginia

Understanding Plea Bargains

If you’re considering hiring an assault lawyer Fairfax VA residents turn to, you might also be wondering if you’d be well served by agreeing to a plea bargain. However, it’s important to understand what any given plea agreement entails. For some defendants, it might be a good choice to agree to a plea bargain, but this certainly isn’t the right solution in every case. After hiring an assault lawyer in Fairfax VA such as Dave Albo – Attorney, he can review the details of your situation before offering you legal advice.

What is a plea bargain?

Plea bargains are agreements between the defendant’s assault lawyer Fairfax VA offers and the prosecution. The defendant agrees to plead guilty or nolo contendere (no contest) to the charges, and the prosecuting attorney will provide something in exchange. For example, this could mean that the prosecutor will drop one or more of the charges (if the defendant is facing several charges), or will recommend that the judge give the defendant a lighter sentence, such as lesser fines or shorter jail time.

One of the biggest draws of a plea bargain is being able to avoid the stressful process of a courtroom trial. For the prosecution, this means saving time and money. Many local municipalities are struggling to manage overburdened judicial systems and are more than happy to clear one more case out of the courtroom docket.

For a defendant — particularly one who has a weak defense and is facing serious penalties — a plea agreement might also be beneficial. The defendant must authorize an assault lawyer Fairfax VA defendants choose to negotiate a deal. Many defendants choose to have their lawyer negotiate a deal because this person may have a relationship with the prosecution that allows them to reach a better deal.

Plea bargaining can happen at nearly any stage of a case, including after a trial has begun if the prosecution agrees to it. However, many prosecutors require the defendant to agree to a plea bargain before the trial begins in order to save the most time and resources. If a trial results in a hung jury, a defendant might then agree to a plea bargain in order to avoid going through a second trial.

Are plea bargains ever harmful?

Contrary to what you might believe, a lot of innocent individuals end up agreeing to plea bargains in order to avoid the time-consuming process of a courtroom case. Unfortunately, this disproportionately affects poorer citizens and is a result of the country’s overburdened court systems. An individual who cannot afford to post bail or hire an assault lawyer Fairfax VA locals recommend could end spending months (or even years) in jail awaiting trial. A guilty plea might allow them to get out of jail within a matter of weeks or months, and overall it could mean that they spend less time in jail.

A Fairfax Assault Lawyer You Can Count On

The clear downside is that the defendant still leaves with a conviction on his or her record, and an individual who did not commit a crime should not have to face the consequences of a conviction. These consequences might end up affecting this person’s life for years to come, and might affect the person’s ability to find housing, their ability to find a job, and their right to vote. To find out more about how an assault lawyer Fairfax VA community members rely on such as Dave Albo – Attorney, call him at (703) 455-0046.