Yes. If you are entertaining plea negotiations, your criminal defense lawyer will attempt to reduce your potential sentencing exposure. This is often done by pleading to a lower level crime or a lesser included offense. In addition, it is possible for someone to plead guilty to an attempted crime. You can plead to an attempted crime, even if a crime was committed. An attempted crime is set forth in Article 110 of the Penal Law. Essentially, an attempted crime reduces the level of the crime by one degree. For example, a B felony becomes a C Felony, a C felony becomes a D Felony, a D Felony becomes an E felony, an E felony becomes an A misdemeanor, and an A misdemeanor becomes a B misdemeanor, and a B misdemeanor becomes a non-criminal violation.
