During a criminal prosecution, your life can turn into the worst nightmare in a matter of weeks. Surely, many of those arrested on suspicion of committing a crime will jump at any opportunity to end this terrifying, stressful, and confusing experience. In most cases, accepting a plea agreement is the only way to put a criminal prosecution behind you.
But when is it wise to accept a plea bargain and when you and your San Francisco criminal defense attorney should negotiate a better deal? To ensure that you actually benefit from the offer, ask yourself these questions.
Before accepting any type of plea agreement during a criminal prosecution it is imperative that you keep in mind that no prosecutor in San Francisco or elsewhere in California cares about your best interests when offering a plea bargain.
Prosecutors are not your friends, advisors, advocates, nor do they represent your best interests. That is why most plea agreements never reflect your best interests, and usually require strong legal representation from a criminal defense lawyer to refine the deal and tailor it in a way that would take your best interests into account.
More often than not, prosecutors will offer a plea bargain while saying something along the lines of, “If you do not accept this deal, you will be charged with a more serious offense, and the consequences will be much more severe.” Never believe them. The only person you can – and should – trust during a criminal prosecution is your San Francisco criminal defense lawyer. Period.
This is a good question to ask yourself before accepting a plea agreement. Here is the deal: while you already know that prosecutors do not care about your best interests, only your lawyer can negotiate a better plea deal after reviewing your particular case.
Here at the Okabe & Haushalter law firm, we have some of the best criminal defense attorneys in San Francisco and all across California. Our lawyers have handled hundreds of criminal cases and represented both suspects and victims.
Only after carefully analyzing the details of your case, looking into the evidence against you, and examining whether there are any viable ways to dispute the charges against you, your lawyer can help negotiate a better plea agreement.
Another important question to ask yourself before accepting a plea bargain is, “How will this deal affect my life?” Even though your life is already bad enough during prosecution, it could actually get worse if you accept a plea bargain that does not reflect your best interests.
A plea deal can negatively affect your ability to find a new job, it will oblige you to pay a certain amount of money as fines and court fees, and create a plethora of bureaucratic challenges you will be required to overcome as part of your probation for years to come.
So is the plea agreement you are being offered really good for you? Find out today by getting a free case evaluation from our San Francisco criminal defense attorney at the Okabe & Haushalter law firm. Call our offices at 310-430-7799 or complete this contact form to get a free consultation.
