I have the misfortune to have a felonious inlaw or five. This was the case when the idiot at the center of it all decided to defend himself, using sovcit bullshit. He got life. His public defenders handled all the paperwork, filings and pleadings for him. Everyone else involved went with the public defense, plea deals and all that, and got two years or nothing. Idiot should have taken my advice and gone with the lawyer, but I didn't really want him out so I gave it in a way he'd not take it.