Two weeks ago, we covered Dina Lohan’s sentencing following a conviction for aggravated driving while intoxicated. Although nothing new has happened in this drunk driving case, we thought it worthwhile to talk a bit about Lohan’s plea deal.

When some people in Long Island are pulled over, arrested and charged with drunk driving, they want to plead guilty. They don’t see the point in arguing the charge, are ready to admit their guilty and move on. Just because someone wants to plead guilty, however, doesn’t mean that he or she does not need a criminal defense attorney. There are some serious punishments that come with a DWI conviction and an attorney can often negotiate a plea deal that will lessen the penalties in exchange for a guilty plea.

And that’s exactly what Lohan did following her September arrest. Her lawyer worked with prosecutors to create a plea deal that allowed her to avoid jail time. Since the Merrick show business mother was charged with aggravated DWI and speeding, she could have spent considerable time in jail had she pled guilty without a plea deal.

No one can force someone to plead guilty; not a judge, a prosecutor, a police officer or a criminal defense lawyer. The only person who can choose to plead guilty is the defendant, but how is he or she to know if that is the right course of action if he or she doesn’t talk to an attorney? How does he or she know what rights he or she will be giving up? How does he or she know that prosecutors have charged him or her with the most appropriate crime? These are just a few of the reasons why even defendants who want to plead guilty need legal counsel.

To find out more, please visit our previous post on Dina Lohan.

Source: CBS New York, “Dina Lohan Pleads Guilty To DWI On Long Island,” April 15, 2014