When a person is charged with a crime, there are two people who have a part in making a decision about whether the case will go to trial or not: The prosecutor and the defendant. The prosecutors can decide to offer a reasonable plea bargain and the defendant can plead guilty at any time.

At Law Office of Michael L. Fell we know how intimidating this process can be. You may be feel as though it is not worth fighting – especially if the prosecutors claim their case is very strong. It may seem that the easiest and best thing to do is to simply plead guilty. It is never wise to do so without first talking to a criminal defense attorney – even if you are guilty.

If you plead guilty, you will have a felony conviction on your record. Even if you are able to get it expunged at some point in the future, this will come well after you have dealt with many consequences – some of which you may not have anticipated. Do not plead guilty until you fully understand what a felony conviction means and until you have talked to an experienced attorney.

There are harsh statutory penalties in California

Regardless of what the prosecutor tells you, California judges often hand down harsh punishments. In some cases it is because they want to be viewed as tough on crime, but in many cases they are simply responding to harsh statutory penalties. If you have a criminal history then the judge may be required to add years to your sentence. If your crime involved an aggravating factor, such as using a firearm, then there may be multiple years added to your sentence.

It will be hard to get a job, find an apartment, and even get into college after being convicted

One of the most common reasons that people choose to take plea bargain and plead guilty is because they are promised a lighter sentence. Even if you do get the short sentence you are promised, your punishment does not end the day you walk out of jail. You will also find that once you have a felony record, it is hard to get a job, rent an apartment, or even go to college. If you work in a field that requires a professional license, then you will likely find this difficult to obtain as well.

You may lose other rights

You cannot legally own a gun in California after you have been convicted for a felony. This is for life. Certain countries will not allow you to travel into them. You may not be approved for a visa. If you are not a permanent resident, then you could be deported. You may lose the right to vote until you are no longer under police supervision.

The bottom line is that you should talk to an attorney before deciding to plead guilty to a felony. You can reach Law Office of Michael L. Fell at (949) 585-9055 for a free legal consultation today.