What is a plea bargain?

A plea bargain is an agreement between a defendant and a prosecutor in a criminal court case. In a plea bargain, the defendant agrees to plead guilty or no contest to a lesser charge or to a lesser degree of an existing charge. A no contest plea is one in which the defendant does not admit guilt but does not challenge the prosecutor’s case. In exchange for the plea, the prosecutor may reduce the charges, recommend a lesser sentence, or drop other charges. In Nebraska, plea bargains are commonly used in criminal court proceedings. Prosecutors will often consider a plea bargain due to the potential costs of taking a case to trial. Additionally, plea bargains give the defendant an opportunity to negotiate a resolution to the case that may be more favorable than what they could get if they went to trial. Typically, the defendant will need to contact their attorney and work out an acceptable plea bargain with the prosecutor before the case proceeds to trial. The judge presiding over the case will need to review and agree to the plea bargain before it is accepted. It is important to note that the judge does not have to agree to the plea bargain and may reject it if it is deemed to be inadequate.

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