READERS: Ever wonder how important the details of a Plea Agreement are in criminal law?
A: They are very important. Here is an example I found in researching Plea Agreements. A Defendant pled guilty to possession of child pornography in Federal Court. The Plea Agreement was silent concerning how long he would have to register as a sex offender with the State. By the time he got out of jail, the state requirement for registration increased from 10 years to 15 years. The Court ruled he was subject to the 15 year requirement because the Plea Agreement did not specifically address that issue. Call me
