Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Criminal Law Blogs -> Underdog

Criminal Law

: Underdog

Why plead guilty when pleading innocent is not much more risky?

By Marks & Katz, LLC

 Photo from website of U.S. District Court (W.D. Mi.). Most people in my neck of the woods go to court without a lawyer for non-jailable criminal matters. However, even non-jailable convictions can come back to haunt people. For instance, a conviction for possessing a pot pipe is deportable for non-U.S. citizens, with no exceptions that I know of. Those with security clearances will also want to watch out. Moreover, today's non-jailable conviction can lead to harsher sentences for any future convictions.  This week, I had two trials for non-jailable criminal matters. The first trial was in Virginia, for making a loaded handgun recklessly available for the use of a minor under fourteen years old. We lost the trial, but my client has the option to appeal for a de novo Circuit Court bench trial...continue to full post

Full post as published by Underdog on October 10, 2008 (boomark / email).