If you’re convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, you might be facing a criminal sentence, or in simpler words, jail time.
A criminal sentence is a legal punishment imposed on a person found guilty of committing a crime. The judge presiding over the case issues the sentence following the jury’s judgment.
Unless prohibited by federal law, various states and jurisdictions make their own laws regarding criminal sentencing and how long the defendant should be jailed.
But whichever way you look at it, this period can be highly stressful, and you might be wondering how you can get the least time possible incarcerated.
Let’s take a look at some ways an excellent criminal lawyer, who you can find from Spodek Law Group, can help you get less time in prison.
They Know When to Trigger Negotiations
One of the key tactics a lawyer helps the client get lesser sentencing is through entering the negotiations. Knowing how and when to begin the process of creating and accepting a plea bargain is crucial.
The defense should have a compelling argument to pressure the prosecution into agreeing to cut the trial short and save everyone time.
Gathering Strong Evidence
The lawyer may also help your case by gathering extra pieces of evidence that strengthen your defense strategy. A good criminal lawyer will be able to conduct their own investigation to get a better picture of what exactly happened.
The more insight about the case you provide the lawyer, the better their chances at finding proof that will support your case. Significant proof can strengthen your case well enough to lead to plea bargain negotiations.
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Making Quick Decisions
You want a lawyer who can informally reach out to the prosecuting team before the matter goes to court so they can limit the severity of the crime. However, this can only happen if the defense provides information about the case early enough and requests a plea bargain.
As such, having a good lawyer who knows the right timing to negotiate the plea bargain can help lower your penalty.
Advice You on Whether to Accept the Plea
Once the lawyer has finalized the plea bargain negotiations, they will explain whether it’s the best possible option for you on the table.
While the decision is up to you if you would like to accept what the prosecuting team has offered, a good Arizona criminal lawyer will advise and not compel you to accept the plea. If it is, the lawyer should explain the possible consequences of a more severe sentence without the plea bargain.
Negotiating Your Plea Bargain
While the judge is responsible for imposing the sentencing, the prosecution is the one that will decide precisely what charges are relevant to the case. A criminal lawyer will try to argue in your favor such that the judge dismisses a charge if it’s incorrect or unrelated to the case.
The lawyer can also negotiate with the prosecutor to lower or remove charges to get a less severe sentence.
Let Spodek Law Group Handle Your Case
A public defender could negotiate a plea bargain for you, but if you want someone fully committed to your case, hire a private lawyer from the Spodek Law Group. Hired lawyers have a better track record at successfully completing a reasonable plea bargain.