A plea bargain is an agreement between the prosecutor and the defendant to resolve a criminal case. Plea bargains usually involve exchanging guarantees from the state and an admission of guilt from the defendant. Prosecutors might be willing to reduce charges, dismiss secondary charges, or advocate for a certain sentence in exchange for an entry of plea. If you can establish doubt in the State’s case, plea bargaining can be an effective way to reduce the risk to a defendant by guaranteeing probation, reducing felonies, or addressing secondary concerns like immigration status, professional licenses, or parenting time. Whether or not you should take a plea deal is entirely up to you. Every plea bargain involved a risk and reward. A good attorney will describe the risks to you, but only you can determine if it is the correct decision for your future.

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