Thursday, January 22, 2009

100% of the people who plead guilty are found guilty...

The percentages are much better for those who push their cases to trial.  The best offer you get might be the offer you get from the DA on the day your set to pick a jury for trial.  You won't know if you don't push the envelope.  People hire me because I fight.  Period.  They also hire me because I don't tell stories about sunshine and  butterflies.  I tell the truth.  That's what you need to hear when you are contemplating taking a deal vs. going to trial.  You need to be able to rely on my opinion regarding the strengths & weaknesses of your case so you can make an informed decision.

Not every case ends with smiles and joy.  Sometimes juries return verdicts of guilty.  It is the nature of this business that you will win some and you will lose some.  The name of the game is risk assessment.  IE, weighing the risk of turning away a deal or straight plea vs. trying the case.  Many factors come into play in this assessment process... the problems with the case... the potential penalties imposed after trial vs. the known penalty for pleading guilty to the State's best offer... the cost of trial, including the retention of an expert witness... there are many things to consider.  Before you make a decision about how to proceed, consider this truism... 100% of the people who plead guilty are found guilty.