pleading guilty

[deborah3012]

I have just been on jury service at crown court & in about 8 cases the person pleaded guilty just before the trial was due to start. Does this affect how they are sentenced bearing in mind the enormous costs involved.

[Golf38]

A guilty plea has to be credited and would reduce a sentence by a third or thereabouts

[cassa333]

I resently did jury service and the amount of times they plead 10 minutes before they are due in court is amazing. I think there should be a time limit and if you go past that you have to stick with the plea you have made...

It would be a hell of a lot less boring for the jury :)

[deborah3012]

cassa your right it has been the worst experience of my life & its all being paid for by taxpayers money

[New Judge]

A guilty plea at the earliest opportunity earns a one third discount. A guilty plea "at the door of the court" on trial day will still earn a discount, but much less, probably 5-10%.

In addition the maximum contribution to prosecution costs in preparing the matter for trial will also be payable.

The reason late guilty pleas are usually made is that defendants wait to see how many prosecution witnesss turn up to give evidence.

[Carrac]

contiuing on from new judge. A lot of Defendants will plead guilty a court because the cps have offered them a lesser charge if they plead guilty.