An Oregon man was recently sentenced to 18 months probation after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge. The man was originally charged with second-degree disorderly conduct, a Class B misdemeanor, and initiating a false report, a Class C misdemeanor. The charges stem from a traffic stop with police.
According to officers, the 55-year-old man was pulled over for speeding last year. Police say that the man claimed he was speeding to get to the hospital because he thought he was having a heart attack. At the time he was pulled over, the man was supposedly traveling 46 mph in a 30 mph zone. At the hospital, doctors claimed they found no evidence of any heart attack.
After his release from the hospital, the man was arrested and charged. After the charges were filed, the man reached a plea deal with prosecutors. In exchange for the man's plea of no contest to the disorderly conduct charge, the initiating a false report charge was dropped.
Plea deals such as this one are often used by prosecutors to settle both felony and misdemeanor cases. They allow for a quick resolution of a case and generally result in less severe punishments for a defendant. However, a plea deal will often require the accused to plead guilty to some crime, which can lead to a criminal record and various punishments.
Whether a plea deal is the best way to resolve a misdemeanor charge depends on the specific facts in each case. Even with misdemeanors, defenses are available that may be applicable in some circumstances.
Source: The Oregonian, "Man accused of faking heart attack to get out of Beaverton ticket sentenced to probation, court records show," Rebecca Woolington, Dec. 18, 2012
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