I just wanted to thank you for representing me on Monday, I was overjoyed & relieved with the outcome. I don’t think it could have gone any better. All the best, I hope you got to celebrate this one instead after work, you forever made a difference in my life.

I know I thanked you before we parted company but please allow me to reiterate in writing my sincere deepest thanks for defending me in court today. … Armstrong Legal certainly has a great Lawyer you are a credit to the company and I'm quite sure you will secure a very successful future! … My Kindest Regards and Thanks

- Client

Anastasia Qvist is an outstanding lawyer. My criminal law situation (family violence order) was difficult, complex and Ana's diligence saved me as I was going through the most difficult period of my life. Ana is down to earth, commonsense and she even kept our costs to a minimum. She is a skilled litigator and knows the ins and outs of the ACT Magistrates Court. She dealt skillfully with the DPP and is an excellent negotiator. You will get a fair representation and she genuinely cares about her clients. She has my complete recommendation. The lady goes to bat for her clients.

- Client

I would strongly recommend Anastasia to anyone who is seeking legal representation. As a first-time offender who was charged with a Level 2 Drink Driving offence, she walked me through every step of the matter and was very upfront and clear on all aspects of my case. She was always accessible when I needed advice. Her approach and advice were excellent. Under her representation, I received the best possible outcome and managed to avoid a criminal conviction. She was a pleasure to deal with throughout the whole matter.

- Client

Anastasia Qvist was very professional and helpful in every step of my matter. I got a very good outcome and I can’t thank you enough for your hard work and the Armstrong Legal team in Canberra. I would highly recommend her!!!

- Client

Throughout Angela has been the consummate professional. She maintained a calm, yet strong demeanour remained informative and completely open in her communication and took complete ownership of the situation. We felt confident we finally had an advocate to steer us out of the nightmare we were in, and she did so with great respect and sincerity. I cannot speak more highly of Angela. She has literally rescued our family from what looked very much like a hopeless future.

- Client

Words can’t describe how grateful I am to Trudie Cameron being my solicitor and to Andrew Tiedt presenting my case in the court. They both have been very supportive and amazingly professional and effective. I’ve got an absolutely fantastic outcome I couldn’t even dream about.

- Client

Soon after meeting Andrew I knew he was the solicitor I wanted to handle my matter. He immediately sprang into action which brought me stability and hope during a tumultuous time in my life. Andrew was never afraid to give me straight answers to my tough questions which is a true mark of integrity. He is clearly at ease in the court environment and I believe his calm and measured demeanour went a long way to helping me secure the best result from my day in court. I would certainly recommend you approach Andrew if you need assistance.

- Client

"Andrew Tiedt was very professional and considerate to personal circumstances and gave sound advice that resulted in the best outcome possible. Highly recommended."

This article was written by Michelle Makela - Legal Practice Director

Michelle has over 15 years experience in the legal industry, working across commercial litigation, criminal law, family law and estate planning. Michelle has been involved in all practice areas of the firm and in her personal practice has had experience in litigation at all levels (state and federal industrial tribunals, the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, Federal...

Plea Bargaining

Plea bargaining or “charge negotiation” can be used to reduce the severity of your sentence. But it’s important to consider the advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of plea bargaining

It can avoid delay, stress and cost of a hearing or trial, as it can enable the prosecution to withdraw its case (or certain submissions) where appropriate.
It can provide you with greater certainty as to the outcome of your case because you can control the facts on which you will be sentenced.
If you plead guilty to a less serious charge, it can reduce the maximum potential penalty that you will face.
It can avoid multiple trials or hearings arising out of the one criminal incident. If the prosecution cannot establish all elements of the offence charged at the trial or hearing, it may nevertheless have enough evidence to establish the elements of a less serious offence. This would mean another trial or hearing for the lesser charge.
Where there are multiple offences, a plea to only some of the charges – the ones which are most representative – may be preferable to pursuing every single charge with no significant difference in outcome relative to the time and costs expended.
It is possible to negotiate a charge that will be dealt with by the Local Court, rather than in the higher and more formal District Court.
It can spare alleged victims and witnesses the trauma of having to testify. This may be especially relevant where the alleged victim or witness is related to the accused.

Disadvantages of plea bargaining:

It can give the prosecution an indication of how you will conduct your defence. It may be that you have to disclose your defence and in so doing it gives the police the opportunity to obtain evidence to disprove your defence.
In order to get the prosecution to withdraw a matter or to reduce the charge it may be necessary to highlight the weaknesses in the police case. Again, this gives the police an opportunity to fix any weaknesses in their case.

If you require legal advice or representation in any legal matter, please contact Armstrong Legal.

WHERE TO NEXT?

If you suspect that you may be under investigation, or if you have been charged with an offence, it is vital to get competent legal advice as early as possible. Our lawyers are highly specialised in criminal law and will be able to guide you through the process while dealing with the various authorities related to your matter.

WHY CHOOSE ARMSTRONG LEGAL?

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