Plea Agreement or Diversion
A case may be disposed of without a trial through a plea agreement or the diversion program. The City Prosecutor cannot initiate plea negotiations, and in fact has no obligation to discuss your case. Plea agreements are made between the defendant and/or the attorney hired for the case and the Prosecutor. The Judge is not bound by the plea agreement and may reject any or all of the negotiated agreement.
Remember: plea agreements and diversions are done at the discretion of the City of Lawrence’s Prosecutor’s Office. Both are a privilege, not a right.
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- With a plea agreement, you agree to plead guilty or no contest to certain charges and the prosecutor agrees to ask the court to dismiss others, or the prosecutor may amend the complaint to a lesser charge. Prosecutor’s cannot initiate plea negotiations, and they have no obligation to negotiate your case.
- A plea agreement is made at the sole discretion of the City Prosecutor’s Office.
- Another type of plea agreement is called a diversion. Diversion is a contract to comply with certain conditions and agreement of supervision for a specified period of time.
- If you successfully complete all of the conditions in the agreement, the charges against you will be dismissed. Failure to comply with the conditions results in the reinstatement of all charges.
- Diversion is only for first time offenders and those who do not appear likely to engage in further criminal conduct.
- Click here for a printable version of the Diversion Application (PDF).
- View the Diversion Treatment (PDF).