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Bad Costume Idea, Good Traffic Stop Idea | Utah Defense Attorney Tip of the Week
October 26, 2011
Busting Bubba & Knowing When to Plead No Contest | Criminal Defense Attorney Tip of the Week
November 16, 2011
November 8, 2011
Categories
  • Criminal Defense
Tags
  • Common Legal Myths
  • Copycat game
  • criminal case negotiation
  • criminal defense attorney
  • pleading guilty
  • Pleading Not Guilty
  • salt lake city defense attorney
  • utah defense attorney

What Doesn’t Work: Playing the copycat game during police interrogations.  “Where did you get the gun?”  “Where did you get the gun?”  “Are you copying me?”  “Are youcopying me?”  “I admit I did it.”  “I admit I did it . . . crap!”

What Works: Whether it’s a traffic case or felony case, you should always plead not guilty at first. copying-birdsMost people think that the court will be more lenient if they just accept responsibility. Unfortunately, that‘s not how the system works. Any good criminal defense attorney will tell you that people who plead guilty up front almost always receive higher fines, more jail time, and longer probation because the judge will impose the standard punishment with no chance to negotiate. If you plead not guilty at first, you or your defense attorney will get a chance to tell the prosecutor your side of the story and negotiate a lesser penalty. So, unless you are charged with something less serious than what you actually did, never plead guilty before you’ve had a chance to negotiate your case!

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