This week, Miss Riverton agreed to a plea bargain in the now infamous Riverton bomb cases in which she and other defendants were charged with multiple counts of possessing incendiary devices. The teens were alleged to have thrown bottle bombs out of their vehicles as they drove through Riverton City. The original charges included second degree felony charges carrying the potential for up to 15 years in prison. The reality is that Ms. Riverton and her friends were just being stupid teenagers and likely were not actually trying to hurt anyone. The defense counsel for Riverton explained the bottle bombs were meant as a bad joke to scare others not to actually do any property damage or to cause any physical harm to anyone. Teenagers should be advised to stick to toilet papering and other minor pranks as opposed to using anything that could be construed as a bomb.
Miss Riverton and 3 other defendants agreed to plea in abeyances, meaning ultimately the charges are to be dismissed after 1 year so long as the defendants jump through a few probationary hoops. Miss Riverton (now the former Miss Riverton) will pay a fine of $500.00 and must complete 200 hours of community service. Her community service hours can be reduced if she agrees to appear in public service announcements warning kids of certain conduct and the penalties they may face for conduct they may not fully appreciate. The felony charges were reduced to misdemeanors as part of the agreement. Everyone seems to agree this was the proper resolution for the case.
Plea in Abeyance Agreements in Utah
Plea in Abeyance Agreements in Utah are not uncommon under certain circumstances. Many certain types of charges in Utah where the defendant has no prior criminal record may be resolved through a plea in abeyance. The beauty with a plea in abeyance agreement is that when the abeyance period ends, the charges are dismissed so you are not left with a conviction record. Additionally, the defendant is typically eligible for an expungement of the entire record only 30 days after the plea in abeyance ends. Some charges are not eligible for plea in abeyance agreements, for instance, DUI charges are generally not resolved through plea in abeyance agreements.
Salt Lake City Criminal Defense Lawyer
We see many charges every year that are greatly inflated such as the charges Miss Riverton was facing. Often, such as in the Riverton Bomb case mentioned above, the prosecution is willing to resolve the matter in a reasonable fashion but having a Salt Lake City Criminal Defense Lawyer work out the terms of the plea in abeyance or other plea bargain can be priceless. Good people sometimes make bad choices and sometimes special circumstances are involved which should be considered by the prosecution and court. If you have been charged with a felony or other crime in Utah, let us help. Call and speak with a member of our team today.
