Even if you don’t think you want to go to trial, you should consult with a criminal defense attorney. Maybe you’ve said to yourself, “I know I did it; I should just plead guilty and not waste everyone’s time.”
While this might seem like you are taking responsibility, you may be making an irresponsible and rash decision. Judges have wide discretion when sentencing. Without having a criminal defense attorney to carefully negotiate on your behalf, you could be taking on jail when you didn’t have to. You could be pleading to more serious charges than you needed to. Worst of all, you might be wrong in your belief that your are guilty.
In other words, the law can be complicated.
An experienced criminal defense attorney might show you that your case is actually defensible. Even if you are guilty, hiring a criminal defense lawyer can insure that you understand all potential consequences. It can guarantee that you are sentenced fairly. And it can make sure you don’t plead to more serious charges than absolutely necessary.
At VanWa Legal PLLC, we can help negotiate reduced charges, less jail time, lower fines, less restrictive probation and more. Because you likely don’t know how the system works, handling things on your own leaves your fate to chance.