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If you have just been convicted of a federal crime, or if you are pondering the possibility of accepting a plea deal, you may want to try and figure out what your potential sentence may look like, especially if you are facing weapon charges Fairfax. Here is a brief tutorial on how to do so.
1. Be mindful of what you have been charged with. Just because you have been charged with something does not necessarily mean you will be sentenced on those charges. Very often the prosecution team will allow you to plea bargain down to lesser charges.
2. You should attend all meetings and hearings that the court holds, even if you are not legally obligated to do so. This not only allows you to know what is going on but there may be instances in which only you know the facts, so it would behoove you to be present during the proceedings.
3. Make sure to keep open communications with your attorney. While the lawyer will do the negotiating with the prosecution, you will be the one who makes the final decision of whether to go to trial or whether to take the plea agreement.
4. The US Sentencing Commission offers a free sentencing guidelines manual which can be downloaded from their website or ordered directly from them by simply calling them. The crimes will be separated into groups by general crimes and by a specific offense.
5. By using this guide, along with the Federal Sentencing Table, you can get a rough estimate of the length of time in prison you will be serving. Keep in mind that some crimes do carry a mandatory minimum so the presiding judge will not be able to use any discretion while handing down your sentence.