Negotiating a Plea Agreement Some criminal charges are dropped after a defendant's defense attorney negotiates with the prosecutor. In some cases, the defendant pleads guilty to a less serious charge in exchange for the prosecutor's agreement to drop the more serious charges. The final decision on whether to accept a proposed plea agreement always rests with the defendant. Depending upon the severity of the crime committed, a defendant who is found guilty may be sentenced to serve some period of probation, to pay a fine, perform community service, make restitution or pay for the monetary losses caused by the crime, or to serve some time in prison. In some states, the most severe crimes are punishable by death. A veteran criminal defense attorney will know how to work with a prosecutor to fashion a deal that provides for the least severe punishment possible. If no deal can be made, the attorney can mount an aggressive defense in court, to convince the jury that the prosecutor cannot prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the defendant committed the crime
1475 Huntington Avenue, Suite 205 | South San Francisco, CA 94080 | 1-650-624-8155 Copyright © 2005 PetsasLaw.com | All Rights Reserved | Disclaimer | Created by Next Step e-Solutions Our attorneys, K. J. Petsas and Mike Stephens, provide legal services in the areas of criminal defense (including DUI, theft and assault), juvenile law, personal injury (including auto accidents, premises liability and molestation), family law (including divorce, alimony and child support), real estate and more. We assist those who live throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, including Atherton, Belmont, Brisbane, Burlingame, Castro Valley, Daly City, El Granada, Foster City, Fremont, Half Moon Bay, Hayward, Hillsborough, Marin, Martinez, Menlo Park, Millbrae, Moss Beach, Pacifica, Palo Alto, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Francisco, San Bruno, San Carlos, San Rafael, Santa Clara, Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Stanford and Woodside.