The Law Office of David R. Fischer in Las Vegas recently took a particularly intricate and difficult criminal defense case and found resounding success against all odds.
Our client was charged with two counts of sexual assault with a minor under the age of 14, as well as child abuse, neglect, or endangerment with substantial bodily harm. The sexual assault charges alone could land him consecutive life sentences in prison, as they are considered category A felonies. Being convicted of any of the charges would also require mandatory registration on sex offender lists, effectively blacklisting him for the rest of his life.
The evidence in the case was not in his favor. By all means, it seemed as if he was on the brink of losing his livelihood and spending the rest of his days behind bars. What could be done to secure a favorable result for our client?
Making an Alford Plea
Many people are aware of a plea bargain, in which an accused individual pleads guilty to the alleged crimes in exchange for a reduced sentence. While this can be beneficial to some, it still requires that they admit to doing the crime. For our client in this case, admitting to committing the alleged acts would have been disastrous for him, as he would, in the very best case scenario, become a registered sex offender.
Instead of fighting for a plea bargain, our Las Vegas criminal defense attorney worked a different angle and used a little-known legal strategy: the Alford plea. When the defendant makes an Alford plea, they are pleading guilty, therefore avoiding a trial, but they are not admitting to committing the crime.
As a direct result of the Alford plea we were able to secure for our client, he will not go to prison, he will not become a convicted felon, and he will not be required to register as a sex offender. Furthermore, he is expected to be released from custody in only a few days’ time as the negotiation is finalized.
When our client was standing right on the edge of life in prison, we are proud to say that our efforts successfully pulled him back and found him solid ground again. If you would like to know more about how we can help people in the most desperate of legal situations and accused of some of the severest crimes, call 702.866.9864 and schedule your appointment today.