Should You Plead Guilty to a Crime?
If you are facing criminal charges, you might think that a conviction is inevitable, especially if you know you committed the offense. A prosecutor might approach you and pressure you to plead guilty – possibly at your very first hearing. There are several reasons why you should never plead guilty to anything this early in the process and without reviewing your options with a skilled Poughkeepsie criminal defense lawyer.
Defending Against Your Charges
First, even if you committed a crime, there still might be strong defenses available in your case. For example, if you are facing drug possession charges and the police obtained the drugs through an unlawful search, a defense attorney can work to keep that evidence out of court. If the prosecutor is relying on that evidence, they might drop your charges altogether.
Next, prosecutors regularly offer defense attorneys plea agreements for their clients. These might involve reducing charges, dropping certain charges, or avoiding jail time in exchange for a guilty plea. Prosecutors will usually never offer such a deal to an unrepresented defendant, so you can receive significantly harsher penalties if you plead guilty without your own lawyer.
Immigration Consequences
Convictions of certain types of offenses can lead to a removal case for non-citizens. As soon as you are released from jail, you might be turned right over to immigration officials. You should be certain that you know all possible immigration consequences of a guilty plea and discuss these with your attorney if you are not a U.S. citizen.
Speak with a New York Criminal Defense and Crimmigration Attorney
The Law Offices of Nicklaus Misiti handles both criminal defense and immigration cases, as well as “crimmigration” representation for immigrants facing criminal charges. Contact us immediately if you are arrested in the Poughkeepsie area to learn how our criminal defense lawyer can help.
