.
Google

AddThis Social Bookmark Button Post this question to del.icio.us   Post this question to digg   Post this question to blinklist   Post this question to Furl   Post this question to YahooMyWeb   Simpify! this news item   Post this question to shadows   Post this question to Spurl   Post this question to BuddyMarks Social bookmark this page

Free US Law Dictionary

BETA

BROWSE TERMS: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

FIND TERM:

Related Phrases

Plea Bargain

Arrest warrant Â· Search warrant
Probable cause Â· Knock-and-announce
Exigent circumstance
Reasonable suspicion
Search and seizure Â· Search of persons
Arrest Â· Detention
Right to silence Â· Miranda warning (U.S.)
Grand jury

Criminal prosecution

Statute of limitations Â· Nolle prosequi
Bill of attainder Â· Ex post facto law
Criminal jurisdiction Â· Extradition
Habeas corpus Â· Bail
Inquisitorial system Â· Adversarial system

Charges and pleas

Arraignment Â· Information Â· Indictment
Plea Â· Peremptory plea
Nolo contendere (U.S.) Â· Plea bargain
Presentence Investigation

Related areas of law

Criminal defenses
Criminal law Â· Evidence
Civil procedure

Portals

Law Â· Criminal justice

A plea bargain (also plea agreement, plea deal or copping a plea) is an agreement in a criminal case in which a prosecutor and a defendant arrange to settle the case against the defendant. The defendant agrees to plead guilty (and often allocute) or no contest and in some cases to also provide testimony against another person in exchange for some agreement from the prosecutor as to the punishment. A plea bargain can also include the prosecutor agreeing to charge a lesser crime (also called reducing the charges), and dismissing some of the charges against the defendant. In most cases, a plea bargain is used to reduce the number of cases and their aggregate impact on the criminal justice system as the number of cases which can be actually tried by a court system is a fraction of the number of cases filed.

Related Law Blog Posts

Related Law Questions
Lawyers and Law Students! Can you improve this definition? Send us your improvements and we'll provide a link back to your website or blog.

Your Blog Subscriptions
Subscribe to blogs

10,000+ Law Job Listings
Lawyer . Police . Paralegal . Etc
Earn a law-related degree


Practice Area
Zip Code:

Contact a Lawyer Now!












Click here
0.5908 secs