What is a plea deal?

A plea deal is an agreement between the prosecution and the defense in a criminal case. Prosecutors and defense attorneys will use plea deals to come to an agreement without having to go to trial. In Kansas, plea deals can involve a defendant pleading “guilty” or “no contest” to a lesser charge than the one they are accused of. In exchange, the prosecutor will drop the original charge and possibly reduce the potential sentences associated with it. Plea deals can also involve agreeing to complete probation or another form of diversion program. For example, if a defendant is charged with a low-level drug offense, the prosecutor may agree to drop the charge if the defendant participates in a substance-abuse program. The advantages of plea deals are that they save time and reduce the likelihood of the defendant receiving a harsher sentence if found guilty after a trial. They also reduce the burden on the court system, since trials can be long and costly. On the other hand, they can also result in a defendant receiving a less-than-adequate punishment or having to accept a plea for an offense they did not commit.

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