As a first-time offender, you’re given an opportunity to walk the straight and narrow, comply diligently with all conditions of your terms of probation and if you succeed, they wipe the convictions so it’s as if you never suffered them.
It’s customarily used in drug and/or alcohol cases, but I suppose it can apply here, too.
ETA: And before someone jumps in here screaming, “She’s getting special treatment!”: No. This is done all the time, every day in courtrooms around the country for first-time offenders.
It will for this case, and for this case only. She will never again be a “first-time offender.” Any subsequent charges will not affect her agreement with the State of Georgia – but she can avail herself of this scheme only once.
We have a similar conditional sentence in Canada. If the accused complies with all the terms of the sentence, then the conviction is expunged. And it’s typically used for first offenders and non-violent crimes, like this one.
I think people don’t réalise how much the court system is designed not to lock everyone up, but only the most serious cases. Rehabilitation is still a goal.
News alert: in case you see a headline in your Google search that Sydney Powell has been sentenced to life imprisonment, that’s apparently a different Sydney (with a y) Powell, convicted of killing her mother.
This certainly increases the pressure on Chesebro, whose trial starts tomorrow with jury selection. If he is looking for a plea deal, his role in drafting the legal opinions may put him quite close to Trump, which could be valuable for the DA.
First time offender has a different meaning for me. A guy/gal does something illegal without violence - okay, a first time offender. This woman carried on at state and national levels for months (years?). Hope her testimony in all cases is compelling and complete. She should be in serious jeopardy at the Federal level (unindicted co-conspirator).
That would be the legal strategy that Chesebro himself gave a 1% chance of succeeding, and admitted the court case would only be for political reasons?
I was about to wander into Federal level where her actions in the conspiracy resulted in deaths/injuries to 140 capitol police and to insurrectionists (screw them). Also not a one time event. It/she carried out activities for months. Yes, give her the probation here; it better be worth it for the testimony.
I’m not anything close to a lawyer but I suspect that the “must tell the truth” requirement does two things
First off she is required to testify so she can’t plead the fifth and get out of making Trump mad by spilling the beans.
Second, in their discussions with her prior to the plea deal she likely made some statements the the DA found useful and that they had her certify were accurate. If she changes her story, then she is in a bind of “were you lying then or are you lying now?” As far as enforcement, she will be on parole. Its not clear what the provisions of that parole are, but they might include not having lied to the DA’s office as part of her plea deal. So failing to give the testimony they want might get her sent immediately to the slammer.
That was my thought when I heard there’d be no jail time—she offered some extremely juicy specifics, not just some unspecific promise to testify if they need her.
I knew that, probably unconscious wishful thinking on my part.