A person who is facing criminal charges in Missouri often has many decisions to make — decisions that will likely have a major impact on the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, the average person has little experience with matters of criminal law, leaving them unprepared to make informed decisions if they are accused of a crime. As a result, they seek guidance from professionals who do have such experience.
Two men in Missouri have recently made the decision to plead guilty to federal drug charges. One of the men, a 35-year-old, reportedly admitted his role in a conspiracy to distribute drugs — methamphetamine — in several Missouri counties from Aug. 2015 to Jan. 2016. He could spend a minimum of 10 years in federal prison as a result.
The second man, a 53-year-old, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. He could spend between five and 40 years in federal prison. Details of the men’s arrests are unclear.
One of the decisions that people facing criminal charges must make is whether to fight allegations against them in court or plead guilty. Sometimes, they make the difficult decision that there is sufficient evidence against them to convict them in court, prompting them to negotiate a plea deal, when available. Legal professionals can help defendants fully understand their criminal law options, including whether to plead guilty or fight the charges in court. Knowing that they have someone on their side willing to fight on their behalf often helps reduce much of the stress associated with the legal process.
Source: abc17news.com, “Two mid-Missouri men plead guilty in federal court to drug trafficking”, Marie Bowman, April 18, 2017