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Plea in Abeyance
If the prosecutor mumbles these words while discussing your case, congratulations! Basically a plea in abeyance is an offer from the court to keep your offense off your permanent record as long as you don't screw up again. It is quite literally a "get-out-of-jail-free" card. If you are lucky enough to get a plea in abeyance you really need to be careful - any slight infraction is likely to end up with you doing more time than you would have otherwise.
A plea in abeyance is pretty common with first-time offenders with relatively minor offenses. If you have a possession charge or a first-time DUI, you are a good candidate for a plea in abeyance and you should definitely talk to your attorney about it. If you have a sexual or violent offense or you are a repeat offender the chances of a plea in abeyance are very, very slim.
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