What to expect after being arrested on a felony warrant?
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What to expect after being arrested on a felony warrant?
I was arrested with a felony warrant of fraud, 10 counts. My first court date is tomorrow. What should I expect seeing a judge for the first time? Is the judge going to ask for a plea or is it just them explaining the charges I am being charged with? If a plea is needed, I am assuming I should plea not guilty until I can get the advice of counsel. I am unable to afford a lawyer so will be using a public defender.
Asked on January 17, 2011 under Criminal Law, Nevada
Answers:
MD, Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
You will be asked if you plead guilty or not guilty and if you have a court appointed attorney, you better make sure you meet with this person asap. Your court appointed attorney will indeed probably tell you to plead not guilty unless the evidence is overwhelming, he or she knows there is room for a plea deal immediately (i.e., already spoke to the prosecutor and prosecutor agreed) or the he or she determines based on your circumstances it is best to move forward with a guilty plea and ask for mercy from the court. At the end of the day, to buy time, your lawyer will probably advise to plead not guilty but 10 counts of fraud is a serious matter and if you did it, you need to ensure you get the best plea deal possible, especially if you have no priors. If you have priors and are currently on parole or probation, the revocation of parole and probation is inevitable and of course, you could be looking at enhanced sentencing (longer jail time) not to mention the restitution you need to pay.
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