While a plea bargain may often be considered an admission of guilt, there’s more to the purpose of accepting a plea bargain than North Carolina residents may think. A plea bargain may be helpful to not only the defendant but the prosecuting attorney and judge, too.
Individuals may know that a defendant who accepts a plea bargain may be able to complete a shorter prison sentence than if they ere to go through an entire trial. However, a plea bargain also shortens the amount of time and lowers the expenses that a defendant would have to pay for a defense attorney, assuming that the lawyer is not a court-appointed attorney.
Judges may support plea bargains to help keep an already hectic schedule moving along in a timely fashion. Conscious of overcrowding in prisons, judges may also be receptive to the idea of plea bargains allowing individuals to be processed out as opposed to being held for a lengthy trial.
While it may seem most likely that the prosecuting attorney would be the first to be disappointed by a plea bargain, that’s not always the case. In some instances, a prosecutor will accept a plea deal in exchange for information or testimony that could be used against a co-defendant, sometimes one with a bigger involvement in the case.
For citizens who may be interested in finding out the pros and cons of accepting a plea bargain, an attorney might be able to help. An attorney could give advice on whether it would be more beneficial to plead not guilty or attempt to pursue a plea bargain and could additionally help form a strong defense.
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