My husband plead guilty to a felony charge and was not found guilty by a jury. Is there any “difference” in terms of his criminal record because he plead guilty and was not found guilty by a jury?

There is no difference at all between the two. As far as his criminal record is concerned it will appear as a conviction for a felony crime. The “exact” same language would appear on his criminal record if he had been found guilty by a jury. The main reason defendants plead guilty for a felony crime and do not go to trial is often they are offered a “better deal” in terms of their sentence if they plead guilty prior to trial. However, sometimes they have a strong defense and should proceed to trial. The decision is a critical one and only should be made after spending a long period of time with a highly experienced criminal defense lawyer to help you in the decision.