The New York Times published an article showing the dangers of taking a case to trial. When I faced charges in federal court as a young man, I only wanted my defense attorney to elaborate on his strategy to get me out of jail. In my case, it was the wrong choice. I should’ve been thinking about how to accept responsibility, accept the best possible deal, and move forward with my life. I learned a great deal from the bad decisions that I made, but those bad decisions cost me 26 years in federal prison. I urge those who face criminal charges to consider as much information as they can find, consult with competent counsel, and make the best possible decision for their particular case. The more information I would’ve had about how the system operated, and how to navigate my way through it effectively, the better decisions I could’ve made.