I soon will have to goto court for a mistake i made awhile back. I am very sorry for the crime I committed. I relies my mistakes and mature over the period brief period of time. I had a question for any who is expert in the area of Petty Theft Misdemonors. I am thinking about pleading guilty when i am called up to the court but my only question is is the judge going to give me a chance to tell me story or is he/she just going to give me a sentence with out hearing me out first???? Or should i just plead not guilty and get a public attorney!!! Can Someone answer my question best to your knowledge.!!!!!! HELP! PLEASE!
2006-10-31 08:01:29 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
When you enter a plea of guilty to any crime, the Court will ask you a series of questions. These include "Are you pleading guilty because you are in fact guilty?, Are you pleading guilty due to coercion, etc.. The court, after hearing the answers to these questions, will then accept your plea and find you guilty.
Depending on the locality, they may or may not order a presentence investigation. This is where the experience of an attorney will be helpful. The attorney as several options that you don't have, namely because you don't know the procedure. (and I, probably not being admitted in your state, can't advise you on anyway).
One of the options is to assist you in negotiating a diversion agreement with the prosecution. For first offenses, many jurisdictions offer these.
Another option is to arrange a plea agremeent, with a period of probation, probably including restitution.
Either way, you are better off with an attorney than without one. No one can force you to have an attorney, but if you have the ability, I suggest you hire an attorney. If you can't afford an attorney, then ask the court to appoint an attorney for you. In most jurisdictions the court will appoint an attorney to represent you if you are charged with an offense for which the prosecution is asking a jail sentence.
If you need to hire an attorney, contact your local or state bar association for a referral.
2006-10-31 09:34:17 · answer #1 · answered by Phil R 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunately, once you plead guilty, you may tell your story BUT the court doesn't care why you did it. This isn't peoples homes, where mom and dad want to 'understand', this is court and the only issue is 'Did you do it or not'. Doesn't matter if you stole to pay for medicine for a child or to buy yourself jewelry. The public defender is free so you should contact them and ask all your questions before you get to court. Find out what the maximum possible penalty is because if the judge is in a bad mood, things could roll that way.
If you are not prepared for the maximum sentence you could retain an attorney but they are very expensive and if you were stealing to begin with you may not have $$ for an attorney. (my neighbor just coughed up $8000 for one). Consider the worst possible sentence, and maybe you can ride it out.
2006-10-31 08:16:35 · answer #2 · answered by kate 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
sometimes the judge will allow you to tell your side but if you are truely sorry for what you did the best thing to do is plead guilty and say that you have learned your lesson and leave it at that because sometimes words dont come out like we want them to if you get my meaning, remember silence is golden and duck tape is silver
2006-10-31 08:12:47 · answer #3 · answered by just4me1165 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The judge should let you tell your story. However an attorney can probably help you plea bargain and get the best possible result from it.
2006-10-31 08:05:42 · answer #4 · answered by SKYDOGSLIM 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
request a public defender. by law if you don't have one on your first court date you will get one. and they will reschedule court for you after you've met with the attorney.
2006-10-31 08:11:52 · answer #5 · answered by i hate undies! 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
in the event that they on no account pronounced a lawyer, then they on no account study you your rights, in the event that they on no account study you your rights, get a lawyer, they could get you off for that. If it replaced into your first time offence, you are able to in basic terms get probation, or be remanded into your mom and dad custody or abode arrest. it is going to all count on the choose. robbery below $5000 consists of a penatly of $5000 superb and six months in penal complex as much as 2years in penal complex. So particular you should circulate to penal complex, in case you are able to no longer have the funds for an lawyer they'll hire one for you, (on your rights) i does no longer play around with feasible penal complex time in case you assert or do the incorrect element while the choose speaks to you, it ought to point the version of penal complex or no penal complex. legal specialists are incredibly sturdy at turning issues around to make a individual seem extra helpful or worse than they are.
2016-10-21 01:31:38 · answer #6 · answered by comesana 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
get a public defender and go to court
2006-10-31 08:03:59 · answer #7 · answered by daisymayNY 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋