02 November 2009

Oerheard in the Hall

Defendant: I want to have a plea agreement and probation.

Lawyer: That's not what the Commonwealth is offering. They're offering 6 years and 2 months with 6 years suspended. That's two months in jail.

Defendant: But I want a plea agreement with probation.

Lawyer: Look, you can plead straight guilty and get sentenced by the judge. You can plead not guilty and have a trial by judge or jury. Or, you can take the Commonwealth's offered plea agreement. 2 months.

Defendant: I'll plead guilty if I get a probation plea agreement.

Lawyer: That's not what the Commonwealth is offering.

Defendant: But it's only stealing and I ain't got anything else on my record.

Lawyer: It's 8 different charges of grand larceny on 8 different days. They're not going to offer you probation.

Defendant: But, . . .

3 comments:

Mark Bennett said...

I know that defendant!

You have option A or option B. I'll take option C.

S said...

We have an appellate version of that defendant, too. "Can you just tell the judge I'm ready to go home now?" As if we can just "fix" it for them.

karl said...

Stop listening in on my conversations in the hallway. But seriously, don't you miss being on the Defense side?