How do I go about discussing a deferred adjudication?

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How do I go about discussing a deferred adjudication?

first offense paraphernalia misdemeanor charge. Do I tell the judge on court day
or so I have to have a lawyer tell the judge? How do I go about this?

Asked on August 27, 2016 under Criminal Law, Missouri

Answers:

B.H.F., Member, Texas State Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 7 years ago | Contributor

You can request deferred adjudication in two ways:
1. You can hire an attorney to represent you and they can approach the prosecutor with the request for deferred adjudication.
2.  You can show up for your court date and ask to speak to the prosecutor directly.... and thereby ask for an offer of deferred adjudication.  (If you don't have a court date, get the contact info for the prosecutor so that you can call them.) 
It is very common these day for judges to allow defendants charged with lower level offenses to represent themselves.  This can be a cost effective option.  As a general caution, however, do not discuss the details of your case with the prosecutor.  Any statements that come directly from you can, and most likely will, be used against you later.  As a second caution, know and understand the consequences of your plea before you enter it.  If you are a young offender and are in college, a misdemeanor plea can have an impact of student loans and some scholarship programs.  Instead, you may want to see if your jurisdiction offers a pre-trial diversion program wherein you can eventually get the offense off of your record, thereby reducing the potential negative consequences on your future.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

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