When someone is facing criminal charges, they naturally want defense options that can lead to an acquittal — or even hope to get the charges dropped. Their goal is to avoid a conviction entirely.
Why, then, do so many people end up accepting plea deals? The whole idea appears to contradict what people actually want.
Getting charges and sentences reduced
Plea deals can be useful in some cases because they often allow people to have their charges – and the sentences that go along with them – reduced.
For instance, say that someone is facing felony charges. They are going to go to trial, and they think it may be difficult for the prosecution to prove that they actually committed the felony, but not impossible. They know they may be convicted if they go to court, and they could face a significant sentence.
This person is then offered a plea deal. In exchange for pleading guilty to a misdemeanor, they will have the felony charges dropped. So, while they do have to plead guilty, this still gives them a way to reduce the charges, reduce the severity of any potential sentence and possibly prevent themselves from serving any time in jail. This may help them in many ways, such as protecting a professional license that would have been lost with a felony conviction.
Some defendants feel like the trade-off — an admission of guilt and an acceptance of known, limited consequences — is worth it to end the uncertainty they might otherwise face.
This is not the right route for everyone, but it does happen and it is important to know why plea deals can be beneficial, especially when a conviction is already likely. Plea deals can lead to a more favorable long-term outcome. It can help to work with an experienced law firm as you consider all of your legal defense options.