If you are accused of a serious crime, you may be offered a plea deal. Although it is likely that a plea deal will be accepted by the judge, your actions can affect it. That’s why you should listen to your attorney and what he or she says is appropriate when you’re in the courtroom. This woman did not, and now she faces up to seven years in prison.
There will be no plea deal for the individual who caused an accident that resulted in amputations for a Florida principal. A news report from July 22 states that the judge outwardly admonished the woman accused of drunk driving when she did not act appropriately in court. She had gone to court to accept a plea deal for four years in prison. The judge rejected that plea.
The Miami-Dade Circuit Judge stated that the 52-year-old woman needed to act like a grown-up when she showed up four hours late to the court date. She even spoke to the judge about leaving prison early when she was questioned. She cried in the courtroom, but that did not sway the judge.
The woman cause an accident that resulted in a South Dade principal having his legs amputated. He was coaching his son’s Little League championship game when the woman drove her SUV into him. When the police arrived, the woman failed the roadside sobriety tests. The police found an open can of beer in her SUV, and her blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was close to three times the legal limit. The man who was injured had to receive over 100 blood transfusions. He also had 20 surgeries after the incident. Now, he hopes to have prosthetic limbs for the future.
This incident shows why being calm and collected in court can help you get the plea deal you want. If you lose a plea deal because of your behavior, your attorney can help you fight your case at trial.
Source: Palm Beach Post, “JUST IN: No plea deal in DUI crash that maimed Florida principal,” Jim Hayward, July 22, 2017
