i have been charged with violent disorder and am at uni my plea case is coming up i am thinkng of going to court to fight it but am not to sure if i go guilty how much its worth

[clued-up]

it can go either way if i go guilty i get a conviction of violent disorder and am not to sure what this will do to my uni life or life in general?

or i could go to trial and fight it and hope it get acquitted but stand more of a chance of spending some time inside. i am ready for this because it seems even if i go guilty i am gonna screw my life anyway.
i was started on, i was with a few friends and we retaliated and it went a bit to far i threw some glasses never hit anyone but i am on cctv doing this i was scared and am not sure how to go about this.

please if anyone has some tips or ideas or insights cos i am breaking down because of this got all sorts of thoughts going on.

[clued-up]

studying design

[clued-up]

im studying design,

[sara3]

if you plead guilty at the first opportunity you will automatically get a third off your sentence.

all your excuses can be put as mitigation, but if you did it you should plead guilty.. as I'm sure you've been advised.

[jackthehat]

Have you nto gone and seen the pastoral/counselling staff at Uni and asked them about the ramifications ?

You won't be the first student who has got themselves in a pickle.

[craft1948]

If you're on CCTV throwing glasses how can you plead not guilty?

[clued-up]

if i was going to plea not guilty to violent disorder i would be on the basis that they started it and i was in fear for myself and my friends as there was someone throwing a chair at me what could i do run and get it in the back of the head or defend myself.

[craft1948]

Them: Do you plead guilty or not guilty
You: Not guilty
Them: Is this you throwing glasses
You: Yes.....but no....but yes.

[clued-up]

i will ask at uni that may decide what i do cheers

as for walk away i was blocked, the pub locked the doors so i could not get in i hid in the doorway fora bit dodging bottles while my friends where in some sort of scrum in the street with some of them, and i have 4 people coming at me with chairs while throwing glasses would you turn your back ?

[milly143]

Someone please correct me if I am wrong but I have been to a fair few matches at the Emirates and my o/h goes to almost every match and we both agree that in most cases the touble doesn't come to you, you go to it.
If you had walked away you wouldn't be where you are now and please do not try and squirm out of trouble with some pathetic excuse. You did someting wrong so you have to pay the price for it.

[clued-up]

i know craft but take into consideration 3 of my friends on the floor i am clearly throwing glasses to ward off the attacking mob, guilty yes but worth a violent disorder charge and 6 months minimum ? criminal damage maybe public order yes affray i would consider.

so milly what is the price for throwing a few glasses at people intent on killing me ? but yet no injures, i don't follow a team, there banned from there teams stadium for being part of a well know firm. all have previous i have none and do my upmost to be a law abiding citizen.

[ChuckFickens]

you've just answered your own question...

"i am clearly throwing glasses to ward off the attacking mob, guilty yes"

SO you plead guilty and give the rest as mitigating circumstances.

[clued-up]

but if i go guilty then i still have the violent disorder conviction but if i go not, and go to trial i can fight the charge and hope to get acquitted from the violent disorder due to the circumstances.

really cant be having that charge so really am considering going not and fighting it.

i just dont know how the court will take it or what they would consider, if they did and how do they go about it. also im pretty sure that charge screws my life so may as well go the whole hog and try to get the charge off.

[jno]

nobody seems to be answering the OP's question: what are the relative risks of pleading guilty/not guilty? However, as has been suggested, see pastoral staff at the university to gauge their view of it, then work out the situation with your lawyers. My own guess is that you'd be found guilty if it went to trial - but I'm not a judge; a court might think you were sufficiently less involved than everyon else to let you off.

Incidentally, have a look at the CCTV footage to see what you look like through others' eyes - that will give you some idea of what exactly you have to defend yourself against in court.

[clued-up]

cheers thank you all that pitched in i will go to my uni ad see what there outlook is on this and i hope for the best.