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posted on 9/23/18

About 90% of all criminal cases are resolved by guilty pleas, instead of going to trial. People charged with a crime willingly give up their constitutional right to trial in exchange for a less harsh sentence. If you plead guilty to a criminal charge, and you are convicted, the judge is able to issue you the maximum sentence. In many cases, a criminal defense lawyer may advise a client to take a plea deal if the prosecution’s case seems winnable.

In some instances, the prosecution may raise the stakes in order to force the defendant to plea. For example, the prosecution may add on several other charges to your case, even if the crimes are small in comparison or the evidence may be weaker. Bullying tactics like these sometimes work since additional charges can pose a real threat to the defendant. For instance, if the jury finds the defendant guilty of all charges, the sentence could end up being higher than the original charge; therefore, the prosecution uses the possibility of a harsher sentence to push the defendant into accepting the plea deal.

What is Plea Deal?

A plea deal means that you, your criminal defense lawyer, and the prosecution have agreed for you to plead guilty to a crime in exchange for the prosecutor dropping one or more of your charges, reducing your charges to a less serious charge, or asking the judge to reduce or eliminate your sentence.

Plea deals are advantageous for judges, too. They are overworked because criminal courts are becoming overcrowded, and judges are evaluated on how well they manage a Court call. A regular criminal trial can take anywhere from a few days to a few months, while a plea deal can take only a few minutes.

Should I Accept a Plea Deal?

Criminal charges can be beat if you have good evidence and a good criminal defense lawyer. If the prosecution has a weak case, you have the opportunity to go to trial and possibly be acquitted. While in some cases, a plea deal makes sense, you have a constitutional right to a fair trial. If you have strong legal defense, a plea deal could be worse for you. Although you may be reduced to a lesser charge, a criminal charge of any kind can still wreak havoc in your life.

Building a Strong Legal Defense

Protecting your future after an arrest is a priority when facing criminal charges. The criminal defense attorneys at Glasgow & Olsson are knowledgeable in Illinois criminal laws and are committed to protecting you from overly harsh sentencing by the Court.

At Glasgow & Olsson, our goal is to help people who have been arrested for criminal charges build a strong legal defense, instead of simply offering you a plea deal. Our team is compassionate, professional, and knowledgeable in criminal procedure. If you are arrested for a crime in Chicago, contact us at 847.577.8700 for a consultation, or visit us online and complete the consultation form.

(image courtesy of Christian S.)