One of the biggest decisions in a criminal case is deciding when to fight and when to ask for forgiveness.
Almost every criminal defendant will have to decide at some point if the best thing for them to do is accept some kind of plea deal and ask for forgiveness.
This is not an easy choice. It is one that should be made with full knowledge of the evidence against you and the issues in your case.
Recently a couple from Clovis, New Mexico’s request for forgiveness went very wrong.
The Associate Press has reported a federal judge has rejected a letter of apology from a New Mexico couple who were found guilty of defrauding the Air Force out of millions.
Court records in San Antonio show U.S. District Judge Fred Biery ruled this week that Donald Dean Brewer and his wife Sherri Lynn Brewer faced federal prison unless they resubmitted a draft of their apology as part of their sentencing.
In April, a jury convicted the couple, both 64, of conspiracy to defraud the United States, wire fraud and major fraud.
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The best way for a criminal defendant to apologize is to do so sincerely and upon advice of his or her criminal defense lawyer. If you have made a mistake, even a very serious mistake, many judges will be much more lenient if you can show you are sincerely sorry for what you have done.
Las Cruces, NM