how can a DA do this?

[Squeek37]

What is the name of your state? Wisconsin
I have a fairly basic question about defense attorneys. I have a situation, well rather my gf, where acts were committed upon 3 girls that have come forward so far. The charges include 4 felonies and a few misdemeanors totaling well over 20 years in jail and some hefty fines. My question is how could the DA make an offer to the defendant without any input from the victims? He already made an offer of 1.5 years. That's just ridiculous. Is there anything my gf can do now about this?

 

[BelizeBreeze]

There are any number of reasons including, he feels the case is not sufficient to win in court, the reputation of the complaining witnesses is such that he feels they will not be believed, the court docket is so overcrowded it may take forever to get the case heard so making a deal now would insure jail time....OR, he may have gotten a BJ from the defendant and thought it was lousy.

It's called prosecutorial discretion.

 

[HomeGuru]

What is the name of your state? Wisconsin
I have a fairly basic question about defence attourneys. I have a situation, well rather my gf, where acts were commited upon 3 girls that have come forward so far. The charges include 4 felonys and a few misdiemenors totalling well over 20 years in jail and some hefty fines. My question is how could the DA make an offer to the defendant without any input from the victims? He already made an offer of 1.5 years. That's just ridiculous. Is there anything my gf can do now about this?

**A: and I find it ridiculous that you can't spell simple words such as defense, attorney, felonies...........

 

[seniorjudge]

What is the name of your state? Wisconsin
I have a fairly basic question about defense attorneys. I have a situation, well rather my gf, where acts were committed upon 3 girls that have come forward so far. The charges include 4 felonies and a few misdemeanors totaling well over 20 years in jail and some hefty fines. My question is how could the DA make an offer to the defendant without any input from the victims? He already made an offer of 1.5 years. That's just ridiculous. Is there anything my gf can do now about this?

Call your state bar and ask them if they have published any booklets on victims rights in your state. Google wisconsin statutes victim rights

 

[Squeek37]

I googled some sites on victim rights for Wisconsin and came up with this information.
"WHAT ARE PLEA NEGOTIATIONS?
A plea agreement is a way to resolve a case without a trial. Plea
agreements are worked out between the assistant district attorney,
the defense attorney, and the defendant. In some instances, the
defendant may agree to plead guilty to a lessor charge or one or
some of the charges, for consideration by the court, of less exposure
to a jail or prison sentence. The assistant district attorney or
victim/witness specialist will communicate with the victim about
potential plea agreements."
When the DA makes an offer, is that the same as a plea? It says right here that the defendant has a say. I would have thought the same rules applied for the DA making an offer as if the defendant made a plea.

P.S. Sorry for the spelling in the first post. Engineering doesn't require mastery of the English language. Heh.

 

[seniorjudge]

P.S. Sorry for the spelling in the first post. Engineering doesn't require mastery of the English language. Heh.

I am never driving over another bridge the rest of my life.

 

[Squeek37]

I am never driving over another bridge the rest of my life.

Nah, I wouldn't worry about bridges. You might want to slowly back away from your computer though.

 

[seniorjudge]

Nah, I wouldn't worry about bridges. You might want to slowly back away from your computer though.

As I suspected! No wonder computers don't work right....