plea negotiation
Criminal case compromise
Plea negotiation is the process by which a defendant and prosecutor discuss terms for resolving a criminal case without trial.
The defendant typically agrees to plead guilty to a lesser charge or in exchange for a lighter sentence.
Most criminal cases in the United States end through plea negotiation rather than trial: His lawyer entered plea negotiations with the district attorney.
- defendantParty facing charges
- prosecutorGovernment's trial lawyer
- district attorneyCounty's chief prosecuting officer
- lesser chargeDowngraded criminal accusation
- criminal statutesLaws defining punishable offenses
sentencing guidelines · time served · concession · compromise · leverage · victim rights · judge · defense attorney · mutual agreement · systemic bias · criminal justice system · risk assessment · persuasion · settlement · arraignment · court appearance · sentencing hearing · back room deal
plea negotiationjury trial
Legal proceeding with citizen panel
trial by jury · bench trial · criminal trial · litigation · adjudication
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