Q: Plea hearing scheduled but no plea has been offered?!
I have been indicted by the state of GA on charges from 3 years ago. I have had 1 court date which I didn't have to attend, and I now have another one scheduled for the 12th of November, my plea hearing. My public defender has not discussed any type of plea with me, has not told me what is being offered, and I am expected to enter a guilty plea according to my paperwork. My question is, is my public defender supposed to work something out with me prior to court, or will I be walking into court blind-sided and have to take whatever the judge throws at me?
A:
All depends on the Public Defender and that Court, unfortunately. PD's are so overworked and carry ridiculous caseloads, so there is only so much they can do. Some DA's offices are terrible with issues such as advanced communications, and rely on the extreme pressure folks are under to encourage them to make bad decisions.
Slow down your process and get a local lawyer to assist you. If only to get space to think in.
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