Finding yourself entangled in the Key West criminal legal system can be intimidating. And facing a trial with the possible outcome of jail time or other serious sanctions is a frightening prospect for anyone accused of a crime.

Most people are familiar with the concept of a plea bargain, a back-and-forth process where the defense and prosecution work to reach a plea agreement. A plea agreement is a negotiated contract between defense counsel and the prosecuting attorney that sets forth a plea and sentence that is acceptable to both.

Entering into a plea agreement alone, however, does not guarantee the court will deliver the outcome agreed to. The prosecution only recommends to the court that it accept the terms of the plea agreement. It is always up to the judge to decide if he or she will accept or deny those terms.

Defendant Considerations for Accepting or Rejecting a Plea Agreement

While the judge might make the final determination regarding any plea agreements presented to them, it is always up to the defendant to decide whether they want to accept the agreement and present it to the court in the first place.

This is where some hard decisions have to be made. There are pros and cons to entering plea agreements and not every plea agreement is in the best interests of the accused. The decision whether to accept a plea bargain is not an easy one and will depend on the specific facts of your case, your financial standing, your criminal history, and other factors. It also depends on what is being offered.

While your Key West criminal lawyer can discuss the particulars of your case and its possible outcomes with you, the following are some things to think about when deciding whether to pursue a plea agreement in your case:

• No trial: If the court accepts the agreement terms, you avoid going to trial. This is a big plus for some defendants who do not want to incur the time, expense, possible publicity, and uncertain outcome of a trial.
• Lower sentence: Usually under a plea agreement, a defendant, in exchange for pleading guilty, will receive a sentence much less severe than what could be imposed if found guilty in trial and the judge were to impose sentence. This is a huge plus if you feel there is a likelihood of conviction followed by a stiffer sentence.
• Lesser charge: There are many advantages to pleading down to a lesser charge. For example, if you're a licensed professional and your license may be revoked after a felony conviction, pleading out for a misdemeanor charge may guarantee your ability to maintain your license and continuing working in your field.

How a Key West Criminal Lawyer Can Help

Deciding whether to plead guilty to a charge, especially if you are charged with a crime you didn’t commit, is one of the hardest decisions you may ever have to make in your life. That is why it is so important to have an experienced Key West criminal lawyer by your side to guide you through the process and make sure you are receiving the best counsel and representation possible.

At the end of the day, however, the decision on whether or not to enter into a plea agreement will be yours, and yours alone.