Reconsider Your Guilty Plea

Those who have been arrested might be asked for their plea soon afterward. Though it varies by location, a hearing or arraignment may be held for that purpose. To find out why you should reconsider before entering a guilty plea, read on.

You Must Enter a Plea

Among other things, those arrested will eventually be brought before a judge to enter a plea. This is a very short hearing, and you may also be dealing with several other matters at the same time. Bail may be set, your charges formally stated, and you are usually asked about legal representation during this hearing.

Defendants may choose to plead guilty, not guilty, or no contest. It's vital that you understand the context of this hearing and how anything you do can affect you going forward before you enter a plea. Pleading guilty at this hearing is not advisable. You may not have an attorney yet, but they would caution you against such a plea if they could. Guilty sounds bad and it is. It seems final and such a plea can be extremely harmful to your defense. Once you say you are guilty, your chances of coming back from that can be challenging. Here are some points to consider about your plea:

• This is a preliminary hearing, and few defendants have legal counsel with them.
• The judge is accustomed to hearing defendants enter a plea of not guilty. Anything else will make the defendant stand out and not in a good way.
• Entering a plea of guilty is like confessing to something before even knowing the details. There is no way to understand what the case will bring in terms of evidence at this early date.
• Some defendants don't fully understand the charges or the circumstances of the arrest. They are still stunned and not thinking correctly. That can cause them to accidentally plead guilty rather than not guilty.
• Defendants may feel as if they must have done something illegal or they would not be standing before the judge. However, arraignments are routine matters and seldom affect the course of the case.
• Finally, pleas are not written in stone. You can change your plea whenever you wish. If you are not satisfied with your initial plea, speak to your lawyer about changing it.

Later, your criminal defense attorney will advise you when it comes to accepting a plea deal or taking your case to trial. If you decide to plead guilty at that time, it will be with the hope of attaining lowered charges or reduced sentencing. Speak to a criminal defense lawyer to find out more.