plea bargain

plea-bar·gain (plbärgn)

intr.v. plea-bar·gained, plea-bar·gain·ing, plea-bar·gains

To make an agreement in which a defendant pleads guilty to a lesser charge and the prosecutor in return drops more serious charges.

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plea bargain n.

plea-bargain·ing n.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

plea bargain - (criminal law) a negotiation in which the defendant agrees to enter a plea of guilty to a lesser charge and the prosecutor agrees to drop a more serious charge; "his admission was part of a plea bargain with the prosecutor"; "plea bargaining helps to stop the courts becoming congested" plea bargaining criminal law - the body of law dealing with crimes and their punishment bargaining - the negotiation of the terms of a transaction or agreement law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"