When is a guilty verdict a victory?

When is a guilty verdict a victory? When it’s guilty of involuntary manslaughter rather than intentional second degree murder. The difference is that my client is now facing 3 1/2 years in prison rather than 17 years. In this particular case my client was involved in a fight in a jail that had a tragic outcome - the victim died of blunt force trauma to the head. And to make matters worse, by all accounts my client started the fight. Based upon that the State charged him with intentional second degree murder. The parties were drastically far apart in plea negotiations, so we proceeded to trial. My client trusted in me and my years of trial experience to obtain the most favorable outcome, knowing that a not guilty verdict simply was not achievable. Rather, the jury convicted him of the lowest possible option of many provided to them by the Judge. And the jury did so in about 30 minutes of deliberations! The final icing on the cake: that 3 1/2 years in prison he is facing is half the time he offered to serve in plea negotiations! Not every case can turn out “perfectly” with a dismissal, apology from the prosecutor, and a piece of chocolate cake to boot. But when years of prison are on the line, you need the most experienced trial attorney you can find. Call upon the Law Office of James L. Spies when things look grim. I will fight for you!