Hampton Road Robbery Plea Deals
Hampton Road robbery plea deals present individuals with the opportunity to accept consequences that are less severe than they would be, had the individual gone to trial. Robbery cases tend to be settled more often with plea agreements rather than a trial because the risk for an individual can be so high. It is often in the interest of both sides to mitigate that risk with a plea agreement. When contemplating a plea deal, it could be helpful for an individual to contact a skilled robbery lawyer. A capable attorney could look at the evidence against the individual, and what potential outcomes could be. A qualified lawyer could work diligently to build a person’s defense.
Different Plea Deals
There are three types of Hampton Road robbery plea deals that a person could enter. A person can enter either guilty pleas, not guilty pleas, or no-contest pleas. Usually at arraignment, unless the matter is resolved, the individual will be entering a not guilty plea, but every jurisdiction is a little different. In some places, there will not be a plea entered. In other places, they will have the individual enter at least a preliminary plea and even if they enter a not guilty plea at arraignment, in Virginia, they can change that at any time to a guilty plea.
Meaning of Different Pleas
Different Hampton Roads plea deals have different meanings. A guilty plea means that, obviously, the defendant is accepting responsibility, that they committed the crime as charged. A not guilty plea means that the person is denying that they committed the offense. If it is a no-contest plea, they make no statement as to whether or not they committed the offense; however, they acknowledge that the Commonwealth has sufficient evidence to likely be able to prove that they committed the offense that is charged.
There is also what is called an Alford plea that is used in state courts, and what that means is the person is denying a not guilty plea but in acceptance that the commonwealth can prove the charges. The person is saying that they did not do it, however, they acknowledge that the evidence is such that it is overwhelmingly likely they would be found guilty if this case proceeded in trial.
Expectations Regarding Plea Deals
When someone is trying to negotiate, they try to go over what are the possible outcomes. If they plead not guilty, how is this likely going to go, and is that going to be better or worse than what they are being offered? If the plea offer is better for them than the risk of trial, then they should take the plea deal. If they believe that they can get a better outcome at trial, then they turn it down and they take the chances at trial.
Value of a Robbery Lawyer in Hampton Roads
If a person does not have a lawyer, they have the ability to negotiate with the prosecutor. They will present possible offers and the person can negotiate. The person has that right to basically act as their own lawyer on their behalf and try to negotiate an outcome. However, it is recommended that an individual consult a qualified robbery lawyer that has experience entering Hampton Roads robbery plea deals. A capable attorney could work towards the best possible outcome for them.