After your arrest for supposedly driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you may wonder what the best option is for resolving your case. It's possible that you may be offered a plea bargain for the charges against you.
When you accept a plea bargain, you agree to plead guilty to a less severe crime and forgo going to trial. Keep reading to learn important information about accepting a plea bargain for your DUI case.
A Plea Bargain Can Reduce the Costs Associated with Your DUI
One reason that many defendants choose to accept a plea bargain is that the deal generally reduces the financial and personal costs of the DUI. It's usually less time-consuming for your attorney to review a plea bargain than to take the case to trial; this means that you will likely save money on your legal expenses by accepting the plea bargain.
A plea bargain may also call for a punishment less detrimental to your finances. For example, if your plea bargain suggests limited house arrest instead of a jail sentence, you may be able to still work and tend to your family obligations while serving the sentence for your DUI charge.
Community service is another punishment frequently included in a plea bargain. Though serving community service does require your time, you can usually arrange your service times around your normal job.
An Experienced Attorney Can Help You Determine if Taking the Plea Bargain is a Smart Decision
Before accepting a plea bargain, it's important to go over the terms of the deal with an attorney who has experience with DUI charges. Your attorney can review all of the evidence for your case and make in informed recommendation about the plea bargain.
Though plea bargains can lessen your sentence and the effects of your charge, this doesn't mean that they are always the best alternative. Some defendants who are innocent of the DUI charges against them take the plea bargain out of financial constraints or fear of going to trial.
Your lawyer can help you better understand the implications of adding convictions (even if they are less severe) to your criminal record. These charges can effect your job prospects and influence the outcomes of any future arrests. If the evidence against you is shoddy, your attorney may recommend that you go to trial and keep your record clean.
Conversely, if the evidence against you is so strong that you're likely to be found guilty of more severe charges if you go to trial, your attorney may advise taking the plea bargain. Contact a lawyer, like Kevin T Conway Esq Pc, for more help.