Okuzeka
Criminal Law & Justice vocabulary · Charges & the Pre-Trial Stage

Plea bargain

Meaning in criminal law & justice, with examples

/ˈpliː ˌbɑːɡɪn/nounCommon term

In criminal law & justice, plea bargain means: An agreement in which the defendant pleads guilty, often to a less serious charge, in return for a lighter sentence or the dropping of other charges.

In Turkish: savunma pazarlığı, ceza pazarlığı, itiraf pazarlığı

How it is used

Typical of the US, where most criminal cases end this way: 'accept a plea bargain', 'take a plea deal', 'negotiate a plea'. The process is 'plea bargaining'. England and Wales have no formal American-style system, but an early guilty plea earns a reduced sentence.

Example sentences

  1. He accepted a plea bargain and admitted a lesser charge of theft.

  2. Most cases in the US end in plea bargains rather than trials.

  3. Critics say plea bargaining puts pressure on innocent defendants.

Common collocations

  • accept a plea bargain
  • plea deal
  • plea bargaining
  • negotiate a plea bargain
  • offer a plea bargain
  • plead guiltyTo tell the court formally that you admit committing the crime you are charged with; 'plead not guilty' means you deny it.
  • chargeTo formally accuse someone of a particular crime so that the case can go to court; as a noun, a charge is the formal accusation itself.
  • prosecutorA lawyer who works for the state and brings criminal cases to court, trying to prove that the defendant is guilty.
  • sentenceThe punishment that a judge gives a person who has been found guilty; as a verb, to give someone a particular punishment.

More terms: Charges & the Pre-Trial Stage

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.