First Offender/Plea Bargaining

First Offender Status and Plea Bargaining:  If one of the first things a lawyer does is even mention a first offender program or a plea deal, RUN!!!
A lawyer’s job is to zealously advocate and defend a client. A lawyer should be taking the time to hear your story, research the facts, research the law, and only AFTER ruling out every possible way to fight the charge should the lawyer even consider striking a plea bargain or subjecting a client to the harsh conditions of First Offender Status. First Offender programs typically involve a loss of your driver’s license, community service, drug testing, expensive drug education classes, and other restrictions. Furthermore, your record is never truly “clean” afterwards because it will show that you did a first offender program, and many prospective employers ask applicants if they ever took part in a first offender program.

However, if there comes a point in time where a plea bargain or deal is in your best interest, then you will need a skilled negotiator with a good relationship with prosecutors and judges. With both the connections that come from a lifetime in the community and his reputation as a fierce litigator, many prosecutors would rather work out a deal with Matt Pinsker rather than face him at trial.