Bobby Joe Springfield of Texas received six months supervision and a fine of $300 for criminal trespass and burglary committed on the property of Larry McClendon. The sentence was handed down after a plea agreement was entered into by both prosecutor and defense attorney in Dallas County, and the order was signed by Judge Dorothy Shead. This means that Bobby Springfield has to stay clear of the law for the next six months or risk going back to court again.



Bobby Joe Springfield got the break of a lifetime, especially when you consider the reputation of Texas justice. Will Bobby Springfield be grateful that he had Brian Sanford as an attorney and was able to get off with such a light sentence without having to serve time in jail? This is known only to the defendant. It is most likely that he appeared before Judge Stead with a look of repentance and said he was sorry for the crime he committed. But those who commit crimes like criminal trespass and burglary usually do know how to present themselves in court, and are also instructed how to dress and behave by their attorneys.

The job of a defense attorney is to represent their client within all realms of the law. An attorney is an officer of the court and must adhere to the guidelines of the law. A defense attorney can be assigned to an indigent defendant or they can be hired. An attorney that is assigned by the court is known as a public defender. In the United States, everyone is entitled to legal representation. Often, public defenders, who are not paid a great deal of money, are bogged down with caseloads and do not put as much effort into the defense. It does not appear that Brian Sanford was a public defender, judging from the court records.

A prosecutor is supposed to win as many cases as possible. Prosecutors do not make a lot of money, either, and are also assigned a large caseload. Often, what you see in the justice system is a savvy defense attorney who knows all the angles and an inexperienced prosecutor fresh out of law school. Justice is usually on the side of the defense.

Bobby Joe Springfield admitted in court papers that he knowingly and willingly committed criminal trespass and burglary on the day of December 16, 2007. This was part of the plea bargain deal. He pled guilty and saved the state a lot of money from having to have a trial and in return, received a lesser sentence. In some cases, this can work against a defendant as they might not actually be guilty of a crime but feel pressured to plead guilty anyway. In this case, the court had enough evidence to indict Bobby Joe Springfield for criminal trespass, burglary. Bobby Springfield changed his plea from not guilty to guilty in order to avoid possible prison time and a felony conviction. Whether Bobby Springfield committed the crime or not does not matter as a court document in the records at Dallas County says that he did.