Sometimes, when a person has been accused of an illegal activity, he or she may feel that pleading guilty to his or her charge may result in a better outcome than attempting to mount a defense. This option is sometimes available in certain situations involving drug crime, and a plea bargain could potentially result in an individual facing a reduced sentence or a reduced charge. Discussing such an option with legal counsel may be an action to consider.
One woman in Minnesota recently opted to enter a guilty plea pertaining to the charge that was leveled against her. The situation reportedly began when the woman was accused of stealing prescription pills from a nursing home. The woman had been an employee of the facility. It was not clear what caused the investigation into the situation to be opened.
The investigation reportedly uncovered that almost 200 prescription pills were missing from the nursing home. As a result, the woman was charged with felony drug possession. She claimed that the death of her mother had driven her to take the pills in an attempt to cope. By pleading guilty to the drug charge, the conviction may be reduced to a misdemeanor if she meets certain criteria.
In this particular case, the accused party apparently felt comfortable moving forward with a plea bargain. This option may be available to other individuals who have been accused of drug crime involvement in Minnesota. However, parties also have other legal options, including the opportunity to defend themselves against the allegations leveled against them. A thorough assessment of the circumstances surrounding the particular case could help an individual determine the course of action to take.
Source: duluthnewstribune.com, “Former Minnesota nurse admits stealing pills from nursing home residents”, June 4, 2015