Jury Trial and Plea Bargains in Arapahoe County – Factors to Consider
Every case has the potential to go to jury trial or settle by Plea Bargain. None have the option of a judge trial, because that is always a bad idea. Choosing whether to take your Arapahoe County criminal charges to a jury trial or settle the case, have many considerations. In today’s blog, let’s study some of these. Read About Jury trial Considerations in Colorado.
Jury Trial in Douglas County – What Are Your Chances of Winning?
If you can win at trial, don’t even consider a plea bargain. It does not make sense to add to your criminal history, pay fines and court costs, or be on probation. If the facts and evidence are in your favor, get a good trial lawyer from Douglas County and take the case to a jury trial. Here is an important caveat: the facts and evidence must be good when viewed by an objective jury – not you. I can’t exaggerate the number of clients who only see their case from their side. I remember a lady who said she would win because she did not believe she committed harassment against the alleged victim. She would just tell the jury so, and it would be over – a quick win. She completely failed to see how a jury would listen to the alleged victim and view a video of her yelling at him and then slapping a cell phone out of his hand. Many of us have blinders on and that is the reason you need a good defense attorney advising you. You also need to get people who are not emotionally involved (parents are no good) and ask them to meet with your lawyer to review the evidence. You can better trust friends over yourself when you are emotionally involved.
Plea Offer Quality in Adams County Criminal Courts – How to Judge Good or Bad
The quality of your plea bargain offer is the second consideration. If you have an uncertain verdict from a jury trial, a good plea bargain might make the decision for you. What is a good plea bargain? A. One which will come off your record and not be a permanent conviction. B. One where you don’t have supervised probation (very costly at $50 per month). C. One where you don’t have to do significant treatment or counseling. D. One which is not a sex offense – these require sex offender treatment and sex offender registration (terrible for getting housing or keeping your job). E. One which is a year or less, is best. Most people can subject themselves to the terms of a plea agreement for a year.
Plea Bargain Balancing with a Jury Trial Right in Jefferson County
You must balance these two considerations. As the strength of the government’s case increases, your need to accept and make accommodations for a plea bargain increases. In other words, as the chance of you losing at trial looks worse, you can expect a worse plea offer, with more restrictions, more treatment, and a longer term. As the chance of you winning at trial increases, you can expect the quality of the plea agreement to get better from a defendant’s perspective: less time, a less serious plea, a deferred judgment and maybe unsupervised probation. If you are caught on video or your fingerprints, don’t think the government is going to give you a good plea bargain. There is a direct & inverse relationship between jury trial and plea bargain considerations.
Denver Criminal Defense Attorney Advice: Come in and Talk
Look for a quality criminal defense lawyer, not a cheap one. Would you try and find the cheapest brain surgeon if you needed surgery? Would you look for one who was the bottom of his class and barely passed the medical licensing procedures? How about one desperate for work? No, on important and life affecting decisions, we should look for reasonably priced and high quality professionals. The results will make it worthwhile. Only a quality, high rated Denver Criminal Defense Lawyer can get great results and steer you straight.
Call our Denver based defense attorneys now for a meeting. Come and talk over your important decisions on criminal charges and whether to plea bargain or go to jury trial. We have been doing this work for over 40 years combined, and that experience is valuable. Experience is the best evidence of quality you can ask for. Plus, we care! So, give us a call at 303-731-0719, today. Together, we can protect your future.
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