When criminal defense lawyers like David Serna makes the critical decision of whether to plead guilty or go to trial, they often have more factors to consider. They need to understand and explain carefully to their clients what trial rights they are giving up. In this post, David Serna will explain some of the pros and cons of pleading guilty.
Pros of pleading guilty:
Waiting for case
trials can take up to a year or more. The defense attorneys, especially their
clients, will have to wait anxiously, not knowing how the trial will favor
them. But David Serna believes that when criminal defense lawyers plead guilty,
they know that they will be confronting the case face-on. Meaning, they should
resolve the case more quickly than if they waited for a criminal trial.
Besides the
agonizing months of waiting for a trial, it can also cost a lot. The expense
for defense lawyers is generally less when the defendant chooses to plead
guilty instead of going to trial. David Serna believes that saving thousands of
dollars should be one of the greatest consideration for someone who anticipates
the jury to find them guilty.
David Serna
believes that one of the best advantages of pleading guilty is avoiding a
trial’s uncertainty. Juries are usually unpredictable, and prosecutors can
always uncover additional evidence to convince the jury to convict the
defendant. Since trials are public, pleading guilty will help the defendant
avoid most media attention and unwanted attention.
Cons of pleading guilty:
Although there are excellent
advantages in pleading guilty, David Serna believes that some risks are
associated with it. The criminal record will follow the defendant for the rest
of their life. Besides this consequence, the judge is still responsible for
sentencing. They can generally impose a longer sentence compared to what the
prosecutor suggests.
If you need any
legal advice, you can reach lawyer David Serna, a nationally-recognized
criminal defense lawyer, via email, telephone, video conferencing, or in-person
visits under strict disinfecting protocol and mask requirements.
