plea bargain Archives - Legal Dictionary

Alford Plea

October 31, 2016 by: Content Team

An Alford plea is a plea that may be entered by a defendant who has been charged with a crime. In entering an Alford plea, the individual essentially enters a plea of guilty, while maintaining a claim of innocence. In such a case, the defendant is admitting that, whatever evidence the prosecution has is likely to convince the court he […]

Plea

July 21, 2015 by: Content Team

In general terms, a plea is a serious, urgent, and emotional request for something. The legal term plea refers to an individual’s answer to a legal declaration or legal charge. In a criminal court case, the defendant’s plea of guilty, not guilty, or no contest, is his formal response to the charges against him. To explore this concept, consider the […]

Plea Bargaining

January 24, 2015 by: Content Team

Criminal prosecutions in the United States are frequently settled without a jury trial through the process of plea bargaining. A plea bargain is an agreement between the prosecutor and defendant in which the defendant agrees to plead guilty to some of the charges, or a lesser charge, in exchange for a reduced sentence, or some other concession by the prosecution. […]