Cases that are moving through the criminal court system can take a long time to resolve. This is partially due to packed dockets and limited resources. Because of this, plea deals are often used to resolve these cases without having to go through a lengthy court process.
There are benefits for the defendant and the prosecution; however, all defendants must ensure they understand a few things about plea deals so they can make an informed decision about whether to accept one or not.
Suitability of the plea deal
One of the most important things for defendants to remember is that a plea deal comes with a requirement to plead either guilty or no contest to specific charges. Because of this, they should only entertain the idea of a plea deal if they’re ready to admit that they did the crime.
Court approval is required
Once a plea deal is agreed upon by the prosecution and defense, it’s presented to the court. The court will only accept the plea deal if the judge feels it sufficiently addresses the charge.
Appeals aren’t possible
The majority of plea deals have a clause that forbids the defendant from being able to appeal. Any defendant who’s considering a plea deal should ensure they’re prepared to deal with the terms of the agreement.
Plea deals are only one option for resolving a criminal case. Working with someone familiar with these cases can provide defendants with the opportunity to explore all their defense strategy options.