Plea Agreements, Plea Bargains & Open Pleas – Criminal Law Information

Plea Agreements, Plea Bargains & Open Pleas – Criminal Law Information
Criminal charges are often resolved without going to trial by negotiating a deal with the prosecutor or the judge.  If the deal is negotiated with the prosecutor, it is called a Plea Agreement or Plea Bargaining.  If a case is resolved with the judge, it is called an Open Plea.  What is a plea agreement? A plea agreement (or plea bargain) is a deal that is negotiated between the prosecutor and the defendant or the defendant’s attorney to resolve a case without going to trial.  During the negotiations, the defendant and his attorney may discuss with the prosecutor details about the case, the defendant and/or the victim that should be considered in arriving at a deal.  Ultimately, the defendant pleads “guilty” or “no contest” and in return, the prosecutor may reduce the charges to a lesser offense, drop certain charges, …