What is Mitigation Plea All About? A Simple Explanation for Newbies

Let’s say you have undergone criminal proceedings in court, and the only answer is either guilty or not guilty. Once you have been found guilty, due to you pleading guilty or the evidence is sufficient to give you guilty sentencing, you will be given a chance to submit a mitigation plea. Before the court could decide what type of sentence to impose on you, always remember to submit a mitigation plea first. This is the process where you can submit some mitigating factors that can convince the court to give you more lenient sentencing.

Many factors can affect the sentence that the court will impose on you. In submitting a mitigation plea, you don’t need to hire a lawyer.  But, Singapore Criminal Defense Lawyer can give you the best advice regarding the many information benchmarks and precedents that may affect the sentence that the court will impose on you. Aside from that, these criminal defense lawyers can draft a mitigation plea for you, especially if you don’t have ample knowledge regarding the law. They can highlight the factors as to why you deserve a lighter sentencing.

Proceeding with a Mitigation Plea in Singapore

Once you are ready and want to submit a mitigation plea to the court, you can orally present or submit a mitigation plea in court. It is strongly advised to back it up with a written mitigation plea to make sure everything is covered. It will create a clearer structure and will provide highlights on the points you want to focus on. It is also a great reference for when you are ready to submit your mitigation plea in court.

If you don’t know how to create or draft a mitigation plea, Singapore Defense Lawyers will help you by looking at the factors that can positively affect the sentence about to be imposed on you. They will highlight these factors and make sure that these factors will help the court decide that you deserve a lighter sentence. They will also provide you with the information you need, like precedents that can affect the court’s sentence on you. All in all, getting the help of a lawyer that can study your case and draft a plea for you is an advantage that you should take. Nothing beats a bit of professional legal advice from the experts.

Main Factors that You Can Highlight in a Mitigation Plea

One of the mitigating factors is age, especially if you are underage. If you are below 21 years old, the court may give you a lighter sentence and be more sympathetic with your situation. Another mitigating factor is the factors relating to the crime itself, like if you have played a minor role in the commission of the crime or if you’re a first time offender. Next is restitution, which is when you made an effort to compensate the victim. You can also convince the court to give you a lighter sentence if you are willing to be rehabilitated in the future.

In the end, the sentence will still depend on the overall factors surrounding the case. They will also consider the mitigating factors, but the offense’s severity will affect the sentence on a bigger scale.