What is a plea deal in Florida?
Answer: A plea deal is what the State Attorney’s Office is offering the defendant in order for them to resolve the case before a full-blown trial. And plea deals can vary from a variety of different things, depending on what the charge is, what the defendant’s prior criminal history is, and things like that. And plea offers are sometimes negotiable with the prosecutors. A lot of being a defense attorney—being an effective defense attorney—is being able to negotiate: give a little, get a little with prosecutors and the State Attorney’s Office. So, again, that’s why it’s important to find a defense attorney who has a good rapport with the State Attorney’s Office and being able to communicate with them so we can achieve the best outcome and the most fair outcome for each defendant.