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Why do I need a lawyer if I plan to plead guilty?

Nobody wants to experience criminal punishment. Sometimes, though, your best bet is to plead guilty, as reduced punishment is often better than the risk of going to trial – and potentially facing far more severe penalties.

When you want to enter into a guilty plea, you need the assistance of a skilled and professional Orlando criminal defense attorney.

Contact Katz & Phillips, P.A. immediately for a free consultation and case review. In the meantime, keep reading to learn why it’s important to have a lawyer, even if you plan on pleading guilty.

do I need a lawyer if I plead guilty

 

What a lawyer can do for you

Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate

The biggest advantage that you will get out of having an attorney is the negotiation aspect.

Knowing the law and having experience in the realm of criminal law is probably the biggest advantage that a lawyer has over a layperson.

The reason why negotiation is such an important part of plea agreements is that prosecutors have almost unlimited discretion to decide what charges to bring against you.

Even if you have clearly and obviously committed a crime, you will not be charged with it unless the prosecutor decides to charge you.

Making prosecutorial discretion work to your advantage

A skilled criminal defense attorney can persuade the prosecutor:

  • Not to charge you
  • Charge you with less than they could
  • Make sentencing recommendations to the Court that are far lower than the typical sentence for such a crime. 

It can be scary how much power prosecutors have, but prosecutorial discretion can be used in your favor.

If you enlist the assistance of a skilled and professional Orlando criminal defense attorney, you can convince the prosecutor to grant you a favorable plea deal agreement.

Contact an Orlando criminal defense attorney today to ensure that you are well-represented.

It is much easier to negotiate with the prosecution if you are apprised in the area of law and can argue to the prosecutor that their case is weaker than they think.

Personal relationships with prosecutors

When your lawyer has a personal relationship with the prosecutor, it is much easier for them to negotiate a favorable outcome.

In fact, for several types of misdemeanor negotiations, talks between the prosecutor and your lawyer might take as little as a few minutes.

Contact an Orlando criminal defense attorney

While pleading guilty might seem like an easy task, you still need a reliable criminal defense attorney to assist you.

This is because pleading guilty is essentially a negotiation, but your negotiation partner is a trained prosecutor. Prosecutors are very good at their job, and if you aren’t careful, you might get railroaded.

Our skilled Orlando criminal defense attorneys are well aware of all of the tricks in the prosecutor’s arsenal.

They will be able to advise you on whether the deal you are being offered is a good deal or not, and what the collateral consequences of your plea will be.

When you need help negotiating a plea deal, contact Katz & Phillips, P.A. online or call (321) 332-6864.

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