Entering Into A Plea Bargain

Both criminal and civil trials can take an extensive period of time, and cost the state or federal government and the defendant an significant amount of money to operate the trial. A plea bargain is one technique used to reduce the duration of a trial and ensure a conviction.

When an individual is accused of committing a criminal offense, he/she may enter into the trial facing serious criminal charges. In some instances, the prosecutor will offer the accused individual a plea bargain. A plea bargain will help to reduce the severity of the criminal conviction and the subsequent sentencing acquired by the defendant, if he/she agrees to plead guilty to the charges. Plea bargains have caused a significant amount of controversy, as they often allow dangerous criminals to escape the punishment that they deserve.


There are a variety of different plea bargains available for prosecutors to offer. For example, when a defendant confesses his/her guilt to a charge that is less serious than the crime that he/she was originally accused of, this is known as charge bargaining. Sentence bargaining occurs when a defendant agrees to plead guilty and in return receives a less severe sentence.

Plea bargains often cause considerable confusion and complications for defendants. A defendant must choose whether or not he/she should combat the accusation and maintain his/her innocence, or accept the plea bargain. In some instances, even truly innocent individuals will accept a plea bargain, in order to avoid the more severe conviction and sentencing, that may occur if he/she is falsely convicted. As a result, many individuals oppose the use of plea bargains.

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