If someone in Denver is facing criminal charges, he or she has a decision to make: plead guilty, not guilty or no contest. All of these options have different benefits, but they may also have very serious consequences. Although some people in Denver may have seen television shows or movies in which individuals plead guilty to something, their consciences are cleared and a judge sentences them to a reduced sentence for taking responsibility for their crimes, this is rarely how real life works. Unless a criminal defense attorney has been working with prosecutors to create a plea bargain, entering a guilty plea will not lead to a reduced sentence.
Though no one can make the decision to plead guilty but the person charged, a criminal defense attorney can help to explain exactly what the risks are of choosing one plea over another.
Now, it is not known if a 27-year-old Denver woman consulted with an attorney before she chose to plead guilty to vehicular assault and vehicular homicide, but she could be facing up to 36 years in prison for her plea. The woman recently entered her plea for her involvement in a fatal accident that happened on Aug. 31.
The woman admitted to driving while intoxicated on Park Avenue. She had entered the high-occupancy vehicle lanes going against traffic. She smashed into another vehicle, seriously injuring one person and killing another.
While it was the 27-year-old’s decision to plead guilty, it would be interesting to know if she fully undertood the rights she was giving up and the consequences she would face by entering her plea.
Source: The Denver Post, “Denver woman, 27, pleads guilty to fatal DUI crash,” Ryan Parker, April 11, 2014