Having a criminal record might not even get me a job. Gross misdemeanor and a felony both look bad on background checks at least trial I have a chance to beat it all.
Having a criminal record almost certainly won't get you a job.
That being said, different criminal records may differ significantly in how much they hurt the ability of your education and experience to get you a job.
> Gross misdemeanor and a felony both look bad on background checks at least trial I have a chance to beat it all.
Well, I'm not sure of the specific state or specific law the charges are under, and IANAL, but it sounds from your description like it is quite likely that there is fairly damning evidence for the prosecution and not a lot you have to offer against it. So, while in theory its possible for you to get a not-guilty verdict at trial -- juries can do pretty much anything -- it doesn't seem like its a great gamble. And while neither offense is going to look good on a criminal background check, presumably the felony all comes with greater potential incarceration time (and quite possibly imprisonment under worse conditions) and other disadvantages; that shouldn't be disregarded.
But, really, the legal advice you are getting from your public defender is probably vastly better than any you'll get here.
I am not a lawyer. But you are better off taking the deal if you can't afford a lawyer. You won't beat it going to trial.
Keep in mind 2 witnesses heard you say " stay back, I have a gun". What defense do you you have for that?
There are consequences for such actions even if there was not a gun present. If you think by going to trial, you are going to beat it you'd be surprised. So listen to your public defender or get a good lawyer.