When you are faced with criminal charges in Tennessee you will want to do everything possible to fight those charges. Even if the charges are not the first ones you have faced, you need to build a defense that can potentially keep you out of jail or from paying hefty fines. One way to make this happen is to enter into a plea deal. Today, we will take a look at how a plea negotiation works.
Plea negotiations can occur at just about any stage of your criminal case. Deals can be reached as early as right after the suspect has been arrested. They can be reached before a prosecutor even has a chance to file the formal charges against the suspect. When a deal is reached this early in the case, it's likely because the suspect is a repeat offender and is facing extensive jail time.
Plea negotiations can occur late in a case, too. For example, maybe the jury is having trouble coming to a verdict. If the case results in a hung jury, it is very common for the criminal defense attorney and the prosecutor to discuss a deal so the case does not linger on any longer.
A no-contest plea is one where the suspect says he or she does not want to contest the charges levied against him or her in court. It typically comes with a plea deal and still ends with a criminal conviction. For the most part, a no-contest plea cannot be used down the road if the victim decides to sue the suspect in civil court.
Negotiating a plea deal in Clarksville, Tennessee, is an important part of the criminal defense process. If you can successfully negotiate a plea deal, you might be able to have the charges levied against you either reduced or dropped.