The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of criminal cases resolve before ever heading to trial. This means that if you’ve been charged with drunk driving, then you’re likely to receive plea deal offers from prosecutors well before your case is slated for litigation. You might be eager to resolve your case, but don’t rush to take a prosecutor’s proposal simply because you’re afraid to go to trial. Instead, consider these factors before deciding on a plea deal:
- The strengths of your case: If you’ve identified illegal action taken by law enforcement and you have the opportunity to suppress evidence, then it might be better to take your case to trial to try to obtain an acquittal. The same holds true for poorly administered breathalyzer and field sobriety tests.
- The weaknesses of your case: If your case is severely hindered by observations of intoxication and damaging test results that were conducted in an ironclad fashion, then you might want to think about what kind of bargain you can negotiate.
- How have similar cases resulted: Whether you’re headed for a bench trial or a jury trial, you might want to look at similar cases to see how they turned out. While they can predict the outcome of your case, they can provide you with guidance on how your case is more likely to turn out.
- How much do you want to fight: If you are offered a plea bargain that allows you to escape the harshest penalties, you might want to consider whether it’s worth your time, effort, and money to take your case all the way to trial.
- How much do you want to risk: Similarly, going to trial can be risky. After all, foregoing a plea bargain and then losing at trial may mean that you’re stuck with harsher penalties than were offered in the first place. On the flip-side, of course, is that you might have the ability to avoid all penalties altogether.
Developing a criminal defense to challenge drunk driving charges can be an overwhelming endeavor. But you don’t have to confront aggressive prosecutors and their threats on your own. Instead, you can seek help from a skilled criminal defense attorney who can help guide you through the process and aggressively fight for your future, regardless of whether you want to negotiate a plea deal or take your case to trial.