I'm guilty, should I just plead guilty without a lawyer?

No.

There are multiple reasons why you should speak to an attorney if you are accused of a crime, even if you know you did it:

The consequences of pleading guilty may be more severe than you realize.

Many people think that if they just go in to court and plea guilty, they will receive a fine and be allowed to go on with their day. Almost every criminal offense (and many traffic offenses) allow for a court to impose a jail sentence instead of or in addition to a fine. Pleading guilty without knowing what the likely sentence will be could result in jail time for you.

In addition to those consequences, many felonies will result in the loss of gun rights under State law and all felonies will result in the loss of gun rights under Federal law. Some misdemeanors that involve domestic violence may also result in the loss of gun rights.

Finally, any criminal conviction usually must be disclosed on job applications which can cause problems for young people who are not established in their careers.

There may be another resolution available to you.

Even if you are guilty of the offense with which you are charged, depending on your criminal history, an attorney may be able to advocate on your behalf for a plea to a lesser offense, or a referral to a diversion program which may result in your charge being dismissed. These options will usually not be relayed to you by the prosecutor if you are not represented by an attorney. (It isn’t the prosecutor’s job to advocate for you. That’s why you need a lawyer!)

The State may not have sufficient evidence to prove you committed the offense.

Even if you are guilty of the offense, the State may not have enough evidence to prove it. Your criminal defense lawyer will review all of the evidence and see if there are grounds to suppress some of the evidence against you or if there is simply insufficient evidence to convict you of the crime.

There are sentencing provisions that may help you clear your record down the road that you will not be aware of representing yourself.

Finally, even if your case resolves with you pleading guilty to the charge, an attorney may be able to position you so that you can expunge your record at some point down the line.

If you or someone you know is facing criminal charges and you would like to set up a consult to discuss the case, call us at (318) 459-9111.