There are several ways that a criminal vehicular manslaughter case may resolve. In some situations, the accused can raise one or more legal defenses to their charge at a criminal court trial.
At trial, the parties to the case present various types of evidence, and a judge or jury decides the case outcome (such as the accused individual’s guilt or innocence). If the state prosecutor ultimately secures a guilty finding or conviction against the accused person, then a judge is left to impose criminal penalties.
In vehicular manslaughter cases where the accused person has a solid legal defense, they may be better off taking their case to trial and letting a judge or jury decide the outcome. However, if the accused person does not have a solid legal defense to raise in response to their pending charge, they may be better off accepting a plea deal from the state prosecutor handling the case.
In a plea deal arrangement, the defense attorney and state prosecutor, after several negotiations, reach a deal to resolve the case without the need for a trial. Most criminal cases resolve by plea deals since criminal trials can take significant time and may be expensive for everyone involved.
As part of a plea deal, the accused individual may agree to plead guilty to a particular charge in exchange for the state prosecutor offering some type of concession.
For example, in exchange for a guilty plea, the prosecutor might decide to reduce a vehicular manslaughter charge down to a reckless driving charge, which will incur lesser penalties.
Alternatively, the state prosecutor might agree to offer the accused person a period of probation. If the accused individual completes their probation successfully and fulfills all the necessary requirements, the conviction on their record might go away.
Accepting a plea deal, however, does not come without losing certain rights. For example, the accused gives up their constitutional right to a jury trial by taking a plea deal and pleading guilty to a criminal offense.
In addition, they give up their legal right to appeal the result of their case. When it comes time to plead guilty to the offense, the accused individual will appear in court and state, on the record, that they agree to the plea deal freely, willingly, and voluntarily – and that no one coerced them into accepting the plea deal. The judge will then typically accept the plea.
The knowledgeable Orange County vehicular manslaughter lawyers at Chudnovsky Law can help you decide whether it is in your best interests to take your criminal case to court or negotiate a favorable plea deal with the state prosecutor handling your case. We can offer advice and recommendations and help you make intelligent and informed decisions throughout your criminal case.