When a person faces criminal charges in New Jersey, he or she may be unsure of the available legal options. Depending on the severity of the charges, the decisions that the accused individual makes could potentially have significant consequences. In fact, a man has recently opted to plead guilty to manslaughter after he was arrested in connection with the death of an alleged drug dealer.
The incident that led to the man’s arrest happened in Feb. 2017. The body of the alleged victim, a 29-year-old man, was reportedly discovered by a park ranger who was picking up trash in a New Jersey park; it had reportedly been dumped down a slope. The discovery was made after a friend reported the man missing; his abandoned vehicle was discovered parked nearby.
A 22-year-old man and his 21-year-old girlfriend were arrested in connection with the murder. Investigators believe that the two conspired to rob and murder the man in the garage of the former’s home. The girl was previously convicted of multiple charges, including first-degree murder and armed robbery; prior to her conviction, reports indicate that she rejected a plea deal that would have resulted in a 10-year sentence. The man has recently pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter as well as four other charges. He faces a sentence of up to 40 years in prison.
Often, when people in New Jersey are facing serious criminal charges such as murder or manslaughter, they will carefully examine the evidence against them with the help of an experienced criminal defense attorney. Depending on the evidence, they may decide that it is in their best interest to plead guilty even if they did not commit the crime of which they are charged. With a professional on their side, defendants in criminal cases often feel more prepared to make the difficult decisions facing them.