A plea is an agreement reached by the prosecution and defense in a criminal case in which the defendant admits guilt rather than pursuing a trial in exchange for a reduction in charges (charge bargaining) or a recommendation for a lesser sentence (sentence bargaining). Many scholars believe that pleas originated as a means to deal with burgeoning caseloads in the 19th and 20th centuries in order to increase efficiency. [Source: The Social History of Crime and Punishment in America: An Encylopedia; Plea]
plea negotiations
trial processes
plea
concepts