Last Updated 17th of May, 2010

How does a plea bargain work?

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Trying to Get a Plea Bargain?

A plea bargain is a deal arranged between you and the prosecutor. Under the arrangement the prosecutor will lessen the charges or penalties for, say, a speeding ticket, for example, in exchange for you pleading guilty.

But before striking a plea bargain, you should consider what's at stake:

  • The penalties involved if you're found guilty by the court.
  • How many violations you've been charged with.
  • Whether you have confidence in beating the charge or charges.
There are three plea bargains to consider:

1. Dismissing a Charge


This usually comes into play when you're charged with multiple violations.

Say, for example, you're contesting a speeding ticket, DWI, and driving with an expired license, a plea bargain in this situation might get one or maybe even two charges dismissed.

2. Reduce


This applies to having a charge reduced to a lesser charge that carries a lighter penalty.
 
An example of this would be having a traffic ticket reduced from a moving violation to a non-moving violation. This, depending on your state and/or situation, could spare you money, license suspension, and from having points added to your license.

3. Merging


This, as the name applies, refers to having two violations combined into one.
 
If you were charged with traffic tickets for speeding and running a red light, you, via a plea bargain, would have the running the red light charge merged into the speeding ticket. This way you'd only face one charge in exchange for pleading guilty to speeding.

Hire an Attorney?

If you're hoping for a plea bargain, consider hiring an attorney. Especially if you're facing severe repercussions from a more serious violation like DUI. A DUI lawyer skilled at defending DUI cases and understands the ways of the court. Expert counsel could help reduce your charges through a plea bargain deal.

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