The hard truth is the only thing worse than having to take a harsh plea offer from the prosecutor is loosing at trial. Yet, the best thing is not winning at trial, but it is having your case dismissed becasue of improper police procedure or lack of evidence. Winning at trial is a great relief, but all the waiting and wondering what's going to happen up until and during the trial is not fun! The decision to go to trial is up to the client and your attorney's job is to tell you the strength or weakness of your case and to help you decide. Usually, the stronger the government's case, the more likely you should negotiate the best deal possible. Usually, the weaker the government's case, the more likely you should go to trial. . . .But it's not always that simple . . . what if you just want to get your case over with and move on, but the prosecutor wants a heavy sentence (punishment), and he/she is pretty much forcing you to go to trial? Or, believe it or not, the prosecutor offers a very light sentence, but you believe you are innocent and do not want to plead guilty or "no contest". Every case is different because the client is different; the judge is different; the prosecutor is different; and, the facts of your situation are different.
