What is a Plea Bargain?

A plea bargain is basically a deal that you (or more likely your attorney) cut with the local prosecutor in order to get the original charge (like for instance possession of drug paraphernalia) reduced to some lesser offense (like “littering”). The benefit of cutting such a deal is that the more serious charge of drug paraphernalia goes away, and in its place, a smaller infraction is plead to. This smaller infraction (littering) does not show up on your permanent record. Once the process has run its course, it is as if the drug charge never existed.

The steps described above in order to secure a plea bargain can be done fairly easily between your St. Louis criminal defense lawyer and the prosecutor. In fact, most of the time you will not even have to show up in court at all. But while all of this is very straightforward and simple, the truth of the matter is that most people do not hire an attorney to perform the above-described services. Instead, these individuals will do nothing more than plead guilty to the original charge. They do this because they believe (incorrectly) that there is no other viable alternative available to them.

But you should know that if you plead guilty to the criminal charge, this will result in a conviction going on your permanent record, forever. And once the guilty plea is entered onto your record as a conviction, it is nearly impossible to take it off. This in turn will result in a much more difficult time for you getting a good job in the future (because potential employers will run a criminal background check); you will have a hard time renting an apartment (because the potential landlord will do the same thing); and if you are currently enjoying governmental benefits (such as food stamps, unemployment security, or public housing), you can expect those to end once the state learns of the conviction.

The affordable St. Louis criminal defense attorneys at The Bankruptcy Company, have been helping people with their misdemeanor charges for over ten (10) years. Our goal is to make sure that the charges leveled against you do not stay on your permanent record, and do any lasting damage. And we want to do all of this at an affordable price. The fees for a typical misdemeanor case start at $450. But the initial consultation to discuss your legal issues is free of charge. So contact us today!!

We have two main locations: in the Central West End of St. Louis, at 1 North Taylor (on the corner of Taylor and Laclede), 63108; and in the Twin Cities of Festus / Crystal City, at 1000 Truman Blvd (Highway 61/67), 63019. The initial consultation is free of charge. So contact us today to learn more!!