Blog Post

Understand the Role of Plea Deals for Criminal Charges

  • By Admin
  • 18 Jun, 2019
Plea Deals and Criminal Charges  — Gavel in Canton, OH
Negotiations between defense attorneys and prosecutors often result in plea deals. The deals allow defendants to admit guilt for certain charges in exchange for a lesser punishment than they would have received if convicted in court. Plea deals continue to be a popular option through the legal system because they have the potential to help everyone involved.

Benefit the Defendant

In the State of Ohio, there are two basic types of plea bargains. The defendant can plead guilty to either a part of the charges against them or they can accept guilt for a lesser charge. This is known as a charge plea. Another possibility is for sentence bargaining that allows defendants to plead guilty for a shorter sentence than the crime would normally receive.

A plea deal helps defendants in many ways. The individual does not have to undergo the media attention or public scrutiny of a trial. The punishment begins at once rather than after the delays that can occur when people wait for a trial. People that feel guilty can admit their crime and pay the penalty so they can move on with their life.

Affect to Victim

Victims may also benefit from plea deals in many cases. It can save families from the emotional pain of listening to the details of a crime in court. The case ends sooner so the victims can begin their healing process. Many victims feel better after they learn of a guilty plea because they know the defendant cannot lie or hide from their actions any longer.

Reduce Court Backlogs

A common complaint of the legal system in the United States are the delays and overcrowding people experience. American jails hold over 600,000 people on average, every day. About 70 percent of the people in these local jails are there while they wait for their day in court. Many people wait months for their trials to take place.

The plea-bargaining system helps to reduce some of the problems common to the legal system. The reduction in trials due to guilty pleas helps to free up court time for the cases that remain. Plea deals help to keep many people out of jail or shorten their sentences, and this reduces the number of people incarcerated at one time.

Understand the Situation

An innocent defendant, or any defendant, should never feel pressured to accept any plea deal. An attorney should not discuss plea deals with a prosecutor if the client insists on a trial. The right to a trial is a constitutional right under the Sixth Amendment. The law prohibits attorneys or prosecutors from any threats or coercion to convince a defendant to accept a deal.

Defendants have the right to accept or decline plea deals, but they usually need a reliable attorney to help them make the right choice. If an individual followed bad advice from a lawyer about a plea deal, they have the right to appeal the case and have another attorney represent them to try and overturn a conviction.

About 90 percent of criminal convictions now take place after a plea deal rather than a trial. However, that does not mean that a plea deal is the end of all decisions. A deal can only continue if a judge approves it and if the defendant follows through with their end of the deal.

Plea deals involve negotiation, a thorough understanding of the law, and the consequences of any agreement. Plea deals affect what happens immediately, but they also can influence future appeals and more. No one should undergo the process without legal counsel. At Dionisio Law, our team can help with plea deals and more. Contact us to arrange a consultation.
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Do you believe a divorce is looming in your future? Are you thinking about filing for divorce? Initiating divorce can be a difficult process, especially when you don't plan ahead. If you want to ensure you are prepared to dissolve your marriage, you need to take action now before you file.

With these steps in mind, you will be better prepared for the divorce and custody proceedings. Read on to learn more.

Understand Ohio's Divorce Laws

A divorce lawyer is a crucial source of information during your divorce, developing a wider understanding of Ohio’s divorce laws is certainly helpful. Your divorce lawyer can provide you with step by step instruction on how you should proceed.

Care for Children

Custody is not the only matter relevant to your children. Children undergo a difficult transition during divorce, and providing a sense of normalcy is critical. You might consider discussing therapy options for your children to allow them to cope with the changes ahead.

Avoid Social Media

Social media can hurt you during divorce, especially if you express your feelings a lot on the web. You are better off avoiding websites like Facebook and Instagram until after the divorce proceedings. Otherwise, you might reveal something unfavorable or make yourself look unstable, indiscrete, or irresponsible.

Take Hold of Your Finances

Are you unsure of your financial situation? Now is the time to initiate an understanding of your assets and debts, especially determining which are shared and which are individually owned.

Now is also a good time to inventory all household possessions, including anything of value. Keep track of the value of each item.

Keep Track of Important Events

Logging interactions you have with your future ex-spouse is important too. For example, you should log any instance of domestic violence or situations that might warrant your gaining sole or primary custody of your children. Document all such incidents and submit them to your attorney.

Retain a Divorce Attorney

A good divorce attorney is worth your while. An attorney not only provides you with options for discussing your legal situation but also presents a support system. You may need to rely on your attorney throughout the court proceedings, so it pays to choose an attorney you want to work with closely.

The Law Offices of Christopher Dionisio  is a respected and dedicated member of the community. We understand Ohio law, especially when it pertains to divorce. Call us today to set up a consultation.

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An accident can occur anywhere and anytime, but do you have any idea what to do if you received an injury at work? Many people don't know how to proceed. Some may not want to tell their employers out of concern that they could be terminated, and others may not want to tell because they cannot afford to take time off.

No matter the reason why your accident occurred or why you don't want to tell, you do have rights and deserve protection if you have been injured in an accident in the workplace.

Learn what steps to take if you've had an accident at work that resulted in an injury.

Get Medical Help

If you've been injured, you need to seek medical attention right away. Waiting for medical attention may result in your workplace claiming the injury occurred elsewhere. If you have first aid at your work, get to the first aid clinic for treatment. If your workplace has a clinic off-site that they normally use for injuries, go to that clinic.

If your workplace doesn't have a first-aid clinic or a designated outside clinic, visit a hospital or urgent care facility quickly to have them assess and treat your injuries and document your injury.

Inform Your Supervisor or Boss

Be sure you let your immediate supervisor or boss know that you received an injury. Your employer will have paperwork that they need to fill out in the event of an accident and steps they need to take on their end to document your injury.

Give them all of the information they need about the accident.

Follow Physician's Orders and Employer Restrictions

If your physician has you on restricted duty at work, or your employer placed you on light duty until you heal, follow these instructions. Don't attempt to do too much and injure yourself further. Stay on light or restricted duty until your physician releases you.

If your employer pushes you to do more, don't - not until you are fully released.

Keep Track of Paperwork

Keep track of all paperwork related to your work injury including medical bills, post-accident pay stubs, and information your physician or other medical facilities you visited provided to you. Also, keep track of all paperwork and documentation from your workplace and the insurance carrier involved.

If your employer or the worker's compensation insurance company refuses to pay for your accident, you will need all of this paperwork if you choose to take legal action.

Find a Personal Injury Attorney

If you decide you need to take action against your employer and the insurance company, you'll need to find the right attorney to help you fight for your rights and to give you compensation for your injuries, back pay from time lost, and other money that your company or the insurance company owes you.

Look for an attorney that specializes in workplace injuries and has won these types of cases in the past.

Take advice from your personal injury attorney such as using physician restrictions at home in addition to when at work. This can help prevent your employer from claiming that your injuries aren't as severe as was reported.

If you've been injured in a workplace accident, you should receive compensation for not only the medical bills from the accident but for back pay and other losses you suffered from the accident such as time lost with family or financial impacts the accident may have caused you and your family.

Call The Law Offices of Christopher Dionisio, Attorney At Law , for a consultation today to discuss your case and get you the compensation you deserve.


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