Long Island is home to more than 7.7 million people, most of whom will never find themselves charged with a crime. However, if you’re one of the ones who does end up with a criminal charge, you’ll need to know as much as you can about your options. Finding a good lawyer should be at the top of your priorities list, but here at the Law Office of Naiburg, Obedin, and Weissman we think it’s also important that you understand as much as you can about the different aspects of a crime. One thing many people don’t fully understand is what it means to plead guilty.
When you are charged with a crime, you’ll end up having two main options – to plead guilty or to plead not guilty. By pleading not guilty, you’ll be telling the court that you are innocent of the charges, and your case will most likely go to trial. During this trial, the prosecution will work to prove otherwise while your defense attorney will defend you.
Pleading guilty is a bit different. You essentially admit that you’re guilty of the charges. The main reason to do this is that pleading guilty will often bring about a somewhat lower sentence in most cases. It will also speed up the process and allow you to avoid the lengthy, and sometimes expensive process of a criminal trial.
For example, with a shoplifting charge you could face jail time as well as a heavy fine. By pleading guilty, you might be able to only face a fine and be sentenced to a period of probation instead of jail.
While that sounds great, it’s not always a good idea to simply plead guilty. Instead, you need to talk to an attorney who will consider the specifics of your case and then help you make a determination as to what the best option may be. They’ll tell you what your odds of being found guilty during a trial may be, offer advice as to whether or not to plead guilty, and help you get a better idea about what kind of sentence you can expect as a result.
There are no two criminal cases that are identical, and because of this it’s always in your best interests to speak to an attorney to get a better idea about what you should do. They’ll help you understand more about pleading guilty and whether or not it’s the right call for your case.