What Works: Whether it’s a traffic case or felony case, you should always plead not guilty at first. Most people think that the court will be more lenient if they just accept responsibility. Unfortunately, that‘s not how the system works. Any good criminal defense attorney will tell you that people who plead guilty up front almost always receive higher fines, more jail time, and longer probation because the judge will impose the standard punishment with no chance to negotiate. If you plead not guilty at first, you or your defense attorney will get a chance to tell the prosecutor your side of the story and negotiate a lesser penalty. So, unless you are charged with something less serious than what you actually did, never plead guilty before you’ve had a chance to negotiate your case!