Take it to Trial
Sometimes you need to take the case to trial-even when you are guilty.
Often, people are arrested and charged with crimes for things they actually did. People say to me all the time “How can I plead “Not Guilty” and take my case to trial if I am guilty?” The answer is simple: because you have the right to. You have the constitutional right to be presumed innocent and to make the State (the police department) prove the case against you beyond a reasonable doubt.
But the complicated answer is you sometimes take the case to trial because what you are guilty of and what you are charged with are two different things. In my twenty years of experience representing thousands of UNH students and young people charged with crimes I have seen it all. I have had a client charged with being under the age of 21 and in illegal possession of alcohol—who was actually over 21! (The cop miscalculated her date of birth from her driver’s license.) I have had students charged with possessing a fake Identification who were charged under the wrong law. They often get charged with the law that forbids manufacturing or using a fake identification, instead of the lower offense of simply possessing it.
Sometimes, the police will charge a defendant with multiple charges for one incident. The final outcome may be the defendant is found guilty of one offense, but not all.
These are just a few of the reasons to take the case to trial.
Also, it is important to remember that although the vast majority of criminal cases are negotiated, those negotiations are better leveraged when the other side knows you will hold them to their burden of proving the case at trial. Having an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side gives you leverage. I have represented thousands of UNH students over the last 20 years and I have the trial experience to take the case to trial when it’s necessary and to get you the best outcome possible.
I will always advise clients of all their options. If you get arrested remember you have the right to take the case to trial.
