TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2008 AT 01:23AM
It's Tuesday, November 18, 2008. I've previously written about many of the poor choices I made prior to my confinement. It's an understatement to say I lived in denial. During the years which preceded my incarceration I was wracked with anxiety and fear. My delusion that I would not be targeted for a crime led me to lie again and again. The results of my poor decisions were endless. I ruined friendships, spent tens of thousands of dollars on unnecessary legal expenses and exposed myself to the possibility of greater sanctions for lying to the FBI. Who in their right mind lies to the FBI? I did.
Despite my wall to wall list of errors, I did manage to do one thing correctly. I pled guilty and avoided a trial that would have been merciless, unkind and quick. The end result of a guilty verdict (which would have been a guarantee), would likely have resulted in a multi-year sentence versus the 18 months I received by accepting a deal. Fortunately, my criminal defense attorneys hammered home the disadvantages associated with proceeding to trial. They outlined the risks, the costs, the likely sentence and the fine. Agreeing to plead guilty was the first sound decision I'd made in quite some time.
My attorneys' advice was only in my best interests and not their pocketbook. In contrast to me, many of my fellow inmates cannot make that statement. Scores of defendants rush to trial only because their attorneys tell them that they will prevail. They explain that there is a huge difference between a criminal indictment and a conviction. Defendants often fail to put forth any effort to learn about the system that will ultimately confine them. Of course, we have to place trust in our attorneys, but don't ever forget that we are new to the game while the attorneys are polished veterans. They have a financial interest in prolonging our proceedings. Many defendants proceed blindly and the result is a conviction at trial with much stricter sanctions.
Greater than 90% of all indictments end with a conviction. Do you really want to fight those odds? Can you afford to go toe to toe with the United States Government's vast resources? I understand it's difficult to do, but if there is a chance you will be convicted at trial, immediately cut your losses and ask your attorneys to run and negotiate a favorable plea deal. The longer one delays, the tougher a favorable deal becomes. I'll always be glad I listened to my lawyers; otherwise, I'd be spending three Thanksgivings in prison instead of only one.
