CAN PEOPLE DEPEND ON THE “MERCY OF THE COURT” IN A CRIMINAL CASE?
The idea of throwing oneself on the “Mercy of the Court” is just a cliché; there is no substance to it whatsoever! People who say, “I’m going to throw myself on the mercy of the court”, don’t even know what it means. They say it because it makes them feel good; it sounds good and they try to comfort themselves because they’re scared of losing their job or security clearance; or being kicked out of school, if they are found guilty of a criminal or criminal traffic charge. But the idea of “Mercy” has nothing to do with guilt or innocence.
Mercy of the Court: How to get real “Mercy” from the court
“Mercy of the Court” may come into play at the “sentencing” of the individuals, but, by then, it’s too late; they have already either found guilty or have admitted the guilt and already have a criminal conviction. What they are then doing at “Sentencing” is trying to mitigate, or lessen, the criminal penalty. But, by then, they already have a criminal charge, arrest, and conviction record with the FBI and Homeland Security. To get real “Mercy” from the court, at sentencing, you have to be proactive, even showing true remorse, if necessary, before court; not after you’re found guilty and being sentenced.
At my Law Firm, NovaLegalGroup, P.C., if we win a case at trial, fantastic! But, more often, we also “Win” cases by negotiating them away so that our clients don’t have a criminal conviction record. But when that’s not possible, then we work with our clients to try to mitigate the penalties a client is facing at Sentencing; and that’s where being a good person and doing proactive “Homework” can really come into play to reduce the sentence and lessen the chances of going to jail, or, working out a “Deferred Judgment” alternative to a conviction and jail.