For a young man domestic violence charges can be devastating. If convicted, his career and reputation could be destroyed. Track Palin, son of former Alaska governor and vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, will not have to worry about these things. The U.S. Army soldier, who served in Iraq in 2008, recently entered a plea agreement and as a result will not face domestic violence charges stemming from an alleged incident with his girlfriend.
The incident occurred when Track allegedly punched his girlfriend in the eye and kicked her in the knee during an argument regarding her ex-boyfriend. Palin then allegedly held a gun to his head and threatened to kill himself.
The state agreed to drop charges of domestic violence assault and interfering with the report of a domestic violence crime. Due to Palin’s blood alcohol level at the time of the incident, he will have to complete an alcohol program. If he does this, his weapons misconduct charge will be expunged from his record. If he does not, he will face a 180-day suspended jail sentence and informal probation for two years.
A plea deal in a criminal case may permit a defendant to plead guilty to a lesser charge in order to get a more lenient sentence or to have other charges dismissed. Plea bargains are negotiated based on the severity of the alleged crime, the strength of the evidence, and the likelihood of a guilty verdict if the case were to go to trial.
Plea deals can help protect people accused of crimes in Virginia from harsh consequences and allow them to move forward with their lives. An experienced criminal defense attorney can help people in Virginia determine whether a plea agreement may be an options for charges that they face.
Source: New York Daily News, “Sarah Palin’s son Track Palin enters into plea agreement to avoid domestic violence charges,” Brian Lisi, July 16, 2016
