Being charged with a criminal offense can leave you riddled with stress and fear. And the idea of taking your case to trial could put you on edge. After all, you might be worried about displaying your mistakes, in great detail, in a public forum for all to hear. But there are ways to better protect your privacy and potentially sidestep some of the most aggressive penalties being threatened against you.
Your best option for doing so may be pursuing a plea deal. Although making an agreement with prosecutors will lead to conviction, it could, depending on the facts of your case, be the best way to minimize the harm caused to your freedom and your future. But you can’t let the prosecution be the driving force in your plea deal determination. If you do, then you could miss key opportunities to protect your interests, and you might thereafter be subjected to much harsher outcomes than you want. With that in mind, let’s look at how you can get the most out of your plea deal.
Tips for getting the most out of your plea agreement
Negotiating a plea agreement is an art. You can’t just indicate that you want a plea deal and expect prosecutors to offer you the best deal possible. They might want a conviction with harsh penalties that serve as an example to others in the community. So, you need to know how to advocate to protect your interests. This includes doing the following:
- Having a command of the evidence: Knowing the evidence in play can give you a lot of direction during plea deal discussions. You can use weaknesses in the prosecution’s case to push for a better deal, and if the evidence is truly stacked against you, then you can at least buy yourself some time to think through how to talk prosecutor’s down to lesser charges or lighter penalties.
- Recognizing the prosecution’s motivations: Prosecutors have a motivation in every case. If they simply want a conviction, then you’ll be able to push for less harsh penalties. If they want to truly make an example out of you, then you’ll have to identify other negotiation tactics that get the prosecution and you what each of you want. By recognizing the prosecution’s motivation in your case, you’ll have a better idea of how to effectively approach your plea bargain negotiations.
- Steeling yourself against aggressiveness: Even though you’re willing to come to the table and potentially admit criminal wrongdoing, the prosecution might still push you to agree to more than you’re comfortable with facing. Don’t give into their power plays and their aggressive assertions. Instead, anticipate their assertiveness and be prepared with counterarguments and counter positions.
- Identifying your goal: Before reaching out to the prosecution with a proposed plea deal, you need to have a goal in mind that’ll serve as a driving force in your case. Make sure that your goal is realistic, though, so that you’re not setting yourself up for a disappointing outcome.
Develop a criminal defense strategy that positions you for a fair and favorable outcome
We know that dealing with criminal charges can be incredibly stressful. But you can get the matter over with quickly while still protecting your interests as fully as possible under the circumstances. If that’s something you’d like to learn more about doing, then please continue to browse our website and consider reading more about plea bargains. That way you’ll have a realistic idea of what you can and can’t get out of the process.