Defendant's Plead Guilty

 According the South Carolina newspaper, The State, three people have pled guilty in a drug conspiracy involving former Lee County Sheriff E.J. Melvin. Each of the defendants face a considerable amount of time in prison since the conspiracy involved both cocaine and cocaine base. Cocaine base is treated more strictly in the federal system and higher penalties are often enforced when the substance is involved in the criminal activity. https://askcompetentlawyer.com/civil-litigation/ Prosecutors in this case have stated that they expect to reach plea agreements with the other offenders within the indictment with the exception of E.J. Melvin, who is probably considered one of the leaders in the conspiracy.

When someone is arrested within a conspiracy, the prosecution will most likely attempt to have the lower level offenders plead guilty in exchange for a lesser sentence. Of course, despite a plea agreement, it is the role of the judge to decide whether the plea agreement is fair and valid and what sentence will be imposed on the individual. In these types of cases, the probation officer will draft a presentence report prior to sentencing in order to provide the judge with the defendant's criminal history. As such, it is important to hire an attorney that can ensure that accepting a plea agreement will be in your best interests. Our criminal defense attorneys in South Carolina are highly knowledgeable about the federal system and are very familiar with the sentencing enhancements that can be imposed with or without a plea agreement.