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Am I wrong for wanting to own my mistake?
I (24f) have been charged with a felony offense. For the sake of protecting my identity and not jeopardizing my plea deal, I'd prefer to not say what I did exactly. I will say it was a criminal negligence type of offense and that my actions caused real harm to others.
I'm currently being offered a plea deal which will involve being sentenced to eighteen months in prison. I've decided to take the deal, despite my lawyer's insistence that we could potentially beat the case at trial. Maybe he could get me off, I'm not sure. But I just don't feel like that would be right. I know I'm guilty and feel like I should accept my punishment.
I recently told my parents about my decision and they seem to think I'm out of my mind. So do the friends that I've talked to about this. Am I really the crazy one for thinking I should have to take the consequences of my actions? I know living with a criminal record won't be easy, but it's my own fault that I'm in this mess. So shouldn't I have to own my mistake? With so many people telling me not to do this, I can't help but wonder if I'm making the wrong decision. What do you think? Am I wrong for wanting to own my mistake?
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No one can be wrong for owning up to their mistakes. However, the courts today have so many rules and loopholes in law that don't justly take into account the crimes so that hardened criminals can take plea deals and get off to walk the streets and endanger someone else. That is wrong.
In your case, without knowing what the offense is, I am guessing that there may some reasons you have been suggested to take a plea deal. Here are some of my ideas. It may have to do with whether this is a first time offense and you have no past records, perhaps your age, being young and having your whole life ahead of you, whether the offense was truly accidental such as brakes failing on your car causing you to hit and kill someone. Knowing that the offense was truly unintentional, not pre-meditated. Does your plea deal include statement that you never did what you are charged with doing? If not, then you are not trying to deny you did wrong, but simply get a lighter sentencing due to whatever circumstances the lawyer and judge will see as important to take into consideration. I will use a wild number like giving you 5 years in prison, if not using a plea deal. Your lawyer probably wants the judge to look at mitigating circumstances. I have no training as a lawyer or judge, but here's what the explanation of mitigating circumstance is off the internet: Mitigating circumstances are factors connected to a defendant or a crime that can lessen their blameworthiness or the severity of the punishment. These circumstances do not act as a legal defense to excuse the criminal act itself, but instead provide context for the court to consider. The purpose of presenting these factors is to argue
for a more lenient sentence. A court’s recognition of these factors is not an acquittal, but an acknowledgment that specific details warrant a reduction in the penalty, allowing the justice system to tailor a sentence to the individual. ( [Link](Mouse over link to see full location) )
With this information hopefully you have the clarity and the peace in making a decision which way to go.
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